Desert Lioness
by Kavernista
Summary: When he met her, she was only a crying child; he had just become Kazekage. She never had any idea of the schemes build up around her life, nor the repercussions that her existence was bound to create. [UNDER REVISING. The first chapter contains brand new information. The other chapters have additional material that will make sense as the story goes by.]
1. Prologue

**_~ Prologue ~_**

The Sun was high in the cloudless sky, splitting the cope of Heaven in two equal sides.

Below the majestic dome, an invisible line separated two margins, for each held different interests and desires.

On the left, stood a single figure. A heavy cloak, dark as a raven, shaded the face and frame of the person who made no sound, arms close to the body as walking swiftly until right under the mighty star above, pausing to wait for the other to approach.

On the right, a tall man with handsome features waited, dressed all in black, his dark red hair swaying wildly with the frantic wind. Patiently he watched the cloaked person with wariness, a troop of thirty-four men behind him. They were all shinobi, ninja from the village of the Sand, and in front of them was their leader Rasa, the Yondaime Kazekage.

From the outside, it would seem an unfair advantage, to have so many men against one single person. However, Rasa knew that they were the one in true peril.

It was the hidden figure who broke the silence first. The female voice that spoke startled the other men, but not the Kazekage who did already expect her presence

"Did you bring it?"

Rasa stared at the woman and his hand moved, a sign for the shinobi behind him to stay put.

"No."

She replied sardonically and drew a shrill giggle from her throat that reverberated like bells ringing though the wind when it came upon the ears of the army. "Kazekage!" The female shook her head in mockery and false calmness, not once revealing her face. "You are pressuring my patience." As she resumed, sand started to twirl around her at what Rasa tensed, his fingers wavering gently as he did the same, his own sand moving around him.

Her sand was almost white and sparkled with micro stones of diamond while his was rich amber, brilliant with the color of the gold embedded.

"We had a deal." Her voice was now stronger, void of humor.

"Things have changed." Rasa replied while he motioned for the men to back away. The shinobi hesitated, but complied.

"We had a deal, Kazekage!" She roared and still, they could hear the bells in it. "Shukaku belongs to Oorun, to my tribe, to me!" Her voice was now at the brink of insanity, as the woman realized she had not only been tricked but even betrayed. "The Spirit of the Sand. Give it to me. Now!" she demanded, her body shaking in anger.

Rasa felt his heart speed up and adrenaline coursed through his veins at the promise of danger. He knew he was playing with fire and in wind that was the most reckless thing to be done. "I cannot! It's been sealed, already!"

"You wouldn't dare." Presently, she replied evenly. "That is no excuse. Give me the jinchuuriki and I will extract Shukaku myself."

"I can't do that." Rasa went on, his throat suddenly extremely dry. He knew he was pushing his luck too far, but there was no other choice. If he didn't come in person, he would be risking his entire village in case that woman decided to pay him a visit herself.

"And why is that, Rasa?" She spat his name venomously for the first time and to that he froze. "You never cared about jinchuuriki before, what made you change your mind?" Her face titled up and the cloak moved slightly, revealing the glazed, pupil-less eyes that resembled Byakugan, but were so very different at the same time, the bright orbs that stood out from her tanned skin as bright lights of lanterns from afar, in a pitch-black night.

Rasa knew that gaze and he felt his entire body become paralyzed, as if a prey upon beholding a viper. Those pair of eyes widened as she effortlessly saw through him, through his soul.

"Your own child?" She whispered, but disbelief was clear in her tone. "And people say I am heartless." Her eyes narrowed as she resumed. "I see the future of it. In three days, he will be born. Hand me the child, Rasa, and all shall be forgiven."

"I will never give up my son, priestess!" The Kazekage shouted with anger rising within his tone. "Ask whatever you want, but this! Shukaku is sealed. I can not kill my own son!"

"It is ironic for you to say so, now." The woman spoke, knowing of the future and what it would bring to the man and the innocent child. "Considering you will order his death countless times in the years to come." She added at last, as if the final blow into the heart.

The Kazekage paled and the shinobi did not know what to believe. Their own leader seemed to take those words very seriously. Should they, as well?

"You are lying." That was all he could muster, but her laughter was madness.

"Enough of it, Rasa! Arany Papno, leader of Oorun, has ordered you to give Shukaku and you failed the demand, twice. This is your third and last opportunity! What should I tell her, then? Will you refuse it, once more?" The pupil-less eyes stared at him as her diamond sand moved faster, the micro shards of the unbreakable stone turning sharp as indestructible needles.

"I can't!" What moved him to refuse so adamantly, he could not possibly know. Sacrifice a child for his home and assure peace with the most powerful village in the Land of Wind… Did he refuse, because the newborn was his own blood, as he once believed, or not to give up the political and weaponry advantage that was having a bijuu, one of the mythical tailed beasts in the possession of Sunagakure? Was he really that heartless or it was only a result of her words playing with his mind?

"You played your cards, Yondaime Kazekage. It is time for me to lay mine." Her voice sounded and suddenly the clear sky twisted with clouds as dark as ebony. Deafening thunder broke the silence and a wall of solid diamond surrounded them both in an unbreakable circle, blocking his shinobi from interfering. Rasa's eyes narrowed and he was ready to fight, but not ready for the words that followed.

"In the name of Arany Ayaba, I see your future and curse you and your family!" The priestess declared menacingly and his eyes widened in despair. "Your wife's death shan't take long to happen and so you will live in dejection, never to love again. You will neglect your children and hate the new born to come." Her words faltered; for some reason unknown, she could not see clearly the future of the unborn child, but what she could, she spoke. "The jinchuuriki will hate you back with time, as well as the village he was forced in only to be hated and despised. It will all be your fault, due to your lack of empathy and ability to show compassion and love. Your son will kill thousands and you will never be able to stop him. Incompetent as no Kazekage ever was, you shall be! And the deaths of your wife and people will be your carried weight!" She laughed madly. "And finally, when the time comes for you to die, I shall fulfill the duty and retrieve back what was stolen from Oorun; Shukaku will be ours and you won't be able to do anything about it!"

As soon as the last words were uttered, a clear light blinded the Kazekage for a second and he shut his eyes in instinct. Once he uplifted them, there was nothing else to see.

He was alone in the desert with his men, the priestess and her diamonds gone, the sky clear again. Rasa looked around with wide eyes, in a fruitless and desperate search for the woman who had just laid down his destiny on stone. Should he believe her or not? What things would come from now on?


	2. The Angel and The Lioness

When she was six years old, that nickname came up. The other kids were teasing her because of her hair.

"You look like a lion!" One of them shouted, followed by the exploding laughter of all the children around them. "Lion! Lion! Lion!"

She did not know what a lion was, but she was sure it was something horrible. Her golden eyes filled with unshed tears and she looked away as she tried to mask her embarrassment. It wasn't the first time she was teased, nor bullied. She knew, at such young age, that it would certainly not be the last either.

When the screams didn't fade, she felt the first warm tear flow down her cheek and that was the clue for her to leave, running away from the offenders. She was only a child, but very proud and easily hurt. Her thick, curly hair grew in every direction, brown as her skin, unusual to most of the children in the village. Ayo did not know the harsh reality of life, yet. She was a poor child, but her existence was filled with love and care. Her parents were kind and loving and although her family wasn't big and didn't possess much, she felt like she had everything she could ever want. She didn't know much of heartbreak, other than the rejection of her classmates in the academy of Suna.

The sun was about to set, painting the buildings of amber where the rays touched. Her eyes flashed with the light, making her look surreal, her irides reflecting the light. Finally, she stopped on one of the rooftops, letting the tears fall freely once she thought she was alone.

She wasn't.

His quiet contemplation was disturbed by the appearance of her. Gaara looked down at the little girl who stood only a few feet away. She did not seem to sense his presence. He searched for her in his mind, but it seemed as he had never seen her before in the village. He had just become Kazekage; one of his goals was to get to know his people better; it was one of the reasons that compelled him into noticing her. She also reminded him of himself as a child, crying alone. He wondered what had hurt her so badly.

With a swift move, Gaara was next to her. Eyes of liquid gold widened in shock at his sudden arrival and she looked up at the intruder. Ayo blinked twice before taking in the image. Bright red hair, green eyes, he towered over her. She saw the scar above his eye and gasped, covering her mouth with her small hands. Her father had spoken about him a few months before. _He is our Kazekage now, Ayo. You must respect him, he looks after us all._ He had said. She remembered her mother looked frightened, back then. She still could not understand why.

"What is your name?" His deep voice broke the silence. The six-year-old kept staring at him. The sun was half-set by then, the reddish rays coloring his hair and making him look like his figure was sparkling with fire.

She thought he looked like an angel.

"Ayo…" Her small voice came in response.

He knelt in front of her. "Ayo. Why are you crying?"

She looked away, pouting, her eyes narrowing with sadness. The screams were back in her mind, the mockery. She looked like a lion; she felt embarrassed, thinking she was incredibly ugly. Why else would everyone laugh at her? The tears threatened to come back, he could tell. He was about to speak when her small voice sounded once more. "No one likes me." She started, staring at her feet. "They said I look like a lion."

Gaara stared at the child with a blank look on his face. He was working on his empathy, but it wasn't his best trait at the moment. "Lions are beautiful." He spoke, watching as she looked up at him again, her orbs lit up with surprise.

"Really?!" She sounded energized, which caught him off guard. "What…" She looked down again, her cheeks colored with faint red. "What is a lion?"

Gaara couldn't help but smiling at that and it was a rare moment for him. "Lions are beautiful animals. Powerful and majestic. You are a girl, so you are a lioness and not a lion."

"Lioness…" Ayo tested the new word, deciding she liked it if he did, too. Her big eyes stared right into his. "Are you an angel?"

The simple, innocent question made his eyes widen. An angel? All his life he was considered a demon, a beast as the bijuu he had sealed inside his body. No one ever thought of him as anything remotely good. Even then, when he became a kage, people were still afraid and questioned if he was the right choice. After all, how could a demon protect them when it would want to kill them all in the first place?

The wanders of children's minds, he figured. How impossibly mean they could be, but also innocent and pure sometimes.

"No, I am not an angel." He spoke bluntly, but he couldn't deny the warmth he felt in his heart. He was determined to protect his people and be a better person, but by far this was the first time he felt someone believe he could be good. A child, nonetheless.

"Oh… You do look like one." She pointed out, wiping her face from the remaining tears.

"Do I?" He questioned, wondering why she would think that.

The small girl nodded. "Yes! Although angels have wings…" She brushed a curl away from her eyes. "But daddy said you can fly, so I guess it's the same!" She smiled brightly and then gasped as she stared at the first evening star. "Oh, no... I have to go!" She said, sad as she stared at him. "I wanted to stay with you..." She said with pure innocence of a child that just made a new friend.

The small smile was on his face again and he opened his hand in front of her, the wind rushing gently as millions of grains of sand danced on his palm, producing the figure of a desert flower. Ayo stared amazed at the object he created, her small hand automatically reaching to hold it; she knew it was for her. "Thank you, Kazekage-chan!" She beamed, hugging him before he could react and leaving in a rush, looking back once and waving as she ran back home.

"Kazekage… Chan?" He asked no one. He could have laughed.

He smiled again, instead.

* * *

From miles and miles away, milky, pupil-less eyes stared at a large crystal ball.

The priestess watched, with utter surprise, as the jinchuuriki and the child interacted. For years, the woman had watched Gaara's ladder of destiny, for she was fascinated by the fact that his fate was blurred by the oracle. For reasons unknown, the woman was partially blind to Gaara's future and it intrigued her, since he was the bearer of Shukaku, the heirloom of the Oorun tribe.

So far, all of her predictions had come to pass. Three days after meeting the Yondaime Kazekage, his son Gaara was born and his wife, Karura, deceased. As she had cursed him, Rasa had led a life of sorrow and despair; his spirit weakened until he was careless enough to be killed by a rogue ninja. She had not predicted Orochimaru's involvement, although she knew it was supposed to be someone with great power and pervertion.

All the time she watched Gaara with hungry eyes, for he held what was most precious to her... The boy was weak at first, small and thin, with dark rings on his eyes from lack of sleep, terrified by the excrutiating nightmares that Shukaku put his mind through before breaking free and going on rampages through the village. As she said to Rasa, thousands died and, moved by the overwhelming guilt, the Kazekage tried to murder his own son countless times with no success. Shukaku was too strong. The defense was impenetrable.

Years passed and the sorceress studied the best moment to capture the boy and extract the bijuu that was hers to have... And finally the Chuunin exams came. Even though it was being held in Konoha, it was the perfect opportunity to snatch Gaara away, if only that _boy_ did not show up.

Her odd eyes closed with fury as she recalled how close she was to her goal, until the nine-tails' jinchuuriki ruined everything. It was another turn on the road, something the oracle made her blind to, simply because there was no way of predicting how Gaara would react upon Naruto Uzumaki's intervention. From that day on, Gaara started to change and the woman watched everyday of his life with amazed grief for she lost the best opportunity she ever had; he was becoming stronger and growing to be a great shinobi, not depending on Shukaku as much as before and even managing to control the bijuu's thirst for blood and death.

Now, as she watched the jinchuuriki being kind to a simple, unknown child, her eyes narrowed. There was something foggy around those two and she could not tell what it was, yet. It was one of those turns that she could not predict, meaning there would be decisions to be made, choices that she could not influence. Nevertheless, it was a fact; Gaara had really changed. Even with Shukaku still tormenting his thoughts, the jinchuuriki was completely different from the young child that killed for pleasure, for the simple reason of wanting to taste, to feel and see the color of blood. Was that the power of the nine-tails' jinchuuriki?

At the same time, the priestess could see clearly the ones who were scheming from the shadows. They wore dark cloaks of black and red and they wanted the impossible, however they had everything to succeed. She had been watching them for a while, waiting for them to give up on the insane idea of gathering all the tailed beasts, but as they gathered members, it seemed they were finally ready to take action.

She hissed annoyed as she watched in her crystal ball; her task had become even harder, now, as she discovered who was the first target of the group that entitled themselves as the Akatsuki.

Shukaku.

Gaara would be the first to go.

* * *

A few days had passed since the little girl met the Kazekage. The solid sand flower rested on her bedtable, right beside her favorite plush. Laying on her bed, Ayo played with her colored pencils, drawing a sketch of Gaara. It looked more like a chibi Gaara, though. She loved drawing and now she loved the flower, it was beautiful and the tiny grains sparkled like thousands of precious stones. She smiled whenever her eyes stopped on it, remembering the day she got it. She had made a new friend.

Unfortunately, no one believed her. Later that day, she had stormed inside her home with tears in her eyes, rushing right to her room. Her mom went to check on her, since her father was on duty.

"Ayo, kin, what's wrong?" Her mother had asked, voice filled with concern.

"They said I'm a liar…" The child spoke quietly between sobs. Her mom cradled her in her arms and waited for her to keep talking. "They don't believe I met the Kazekage-chan." Ayo continued and felt her mother hands freeze, her body tense. The child was confused. "Mommy… Don't you believe me, either?" Her eyes started to fill with tears again.

"Ayo, my love, it's n-not like that…" Her mom spoke, stuttering. The child looked up into her mother's eyes, puzzled. "Ayo, listen to me. No matter what happens, I want you to promise me you will never talk to that person again."

As she registered her mother's words, she frowned and shook her head. She was happy someone believed her, but why would her mom say her such a thing? "Why?" She whined. "He's an angel! Why can't I see him again?"

Her mother chuckled with nervousness. "Ayo, believe me when I say that man is not an angel. He's the opposite. You will stay away from him, young lady, you understand?"

Ayo sobbed again. This was not fair. Why was her mother doing that? She looked at the sand flower once more. She had never disobeyed her mother in her entire existence, not even once. She had a hard time replying, though. She wasn't sure she would be able to obey that order.

Slowly, she nodded, the ghost of the first lie she would ever tell her mother. She did not intend to stop seeing her angel, but she knew her mother would never understand.

Loud noises and rushed screams and voices outside interrupted their moment alone. Her mother frowned and stood up, pulling the curtains so she could see what was going on outside. Whatever met her eyes was shocking, because she looked like she was about to faint.

"Mommy, what is it?" The small girl inquired, but since she didn't get any response, she walked next to her mother and watched it with her own eyes. A curfew? Why? She ran to the door, ignoring the screams of her now very awake mother. Opening the door, she looked around and finally up the sky and the vision was at the same time amazing and terrifying.

There was her angel, flying on a cloud of sand… And someone else.

A battle up the sky.

She covered her mouth in shock, but wasted no more time as she started running and jumped on rooftops, getting as close as she could get, watching the two of them. They were still so far away, but she could see clearly what was happening and it terrified her.

The second person, the one wearing the black and red cloak, suddenly produced a huge object that looked like a white pendulum, until it opened its… Wings? She felt her stomach churn. Something was wrong. She had no idea of what she could do, in her heart she knew there was nothing she could actually do to help, but her brains were wired in the necessity of helping her angel and she prepared to jump, but was cut short by her mother's arms. She struggled to get free, but her mom's grip was strong and she gave up, watching as the thing started to descend upon them.

"It will be alright…" Her mother sobbed as she hugged Ayo, trying to reassure them both in face of certain death. Ayo watched as her mother closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable. The child didn't, though. She looked back at Gaara and waited. Hoped. He would save them. She knew he was...

And he did it.

A deafening explosion was heard, but she felt nothing at all. He had saved them with his strength. It felt like forever then. Her mother finally came to her senses and watched the sand roof above them with disbelief in her eyes. "Impossible…" She had muttered, but Ayo only smiled at her.

"See, mommy? I told you he was an angel."

Her mother simply nodded, feeling ashamed for doubting their Kazekage. Ayo saw the feeling in the older's eyes and smiled in contempt. Maybe she could still see him, after all… However, the very thought made her smile drop. She couldn't see him, then. The sand roof blocked her view and the feeling of dread inside her chest made her feel nauseous.

"Please be well, please be well…" She chanted, more like prayed, as she watched above for any sign of him.

When the massive cloud of sand started to move, she smiled in relief, tears falling down her small face. She was sure it was over, he had won. He saved everyone and after some rest he would be completely well again.

It wasn't the case, though.

They were still up there, both of them. The cloaked figure looked very pleased. More explosions. Ayo screamed and her mother held her tight, afraid the child would try to run again. Golden eyes were wide with horror.

He was falling.

Her angel was falling and she couldn't catch him.

She screamed in agony, but before she could free herself from her mother's grasp, she watched as the cloaked man caught Gaara and flew away.

There was a maddening silence as they slowly got out of sight.

Ayo stopped moving. She stopped screaming. She could only stare at the point in the sky where he was last and cry silently. The pain she felt in her heart was new; she had never felt anything like that before in her young life.

She walked with her mom, quiet as people around behaved in desperation. They were attacked and lost a leader. She lost more than that. She lost a friend.

Once she was back in her room, alone, she looked at her beautiful sand flower and the grains that started to fall slowly from it.

It was falling apart.

She cried herself to sleep that night.

In the morning, she opened her eyes slowly and looked around, hoping it was a dream. The grains of sand were still falling and she started crying instantly, knowing it was all real. That pain was back in her heart, piercing… However, she wasn't about to catch a break.

Her mother knocked and entered her room. Kneeling in front of her, the woman smiled sadly, tears still fresh in her eyes.

"Ayo… You were right. Kazekage-sama was a hero, just like your father…"

The child's eyes were wide, as if guessing the next words that would come.

"Your father passed away, Ayo..."

Her heart failed, her world stopped.

It was falling apart.

* * *

Days passed since Gaara was gone. Ayo couldn't eat normally, nor sleep. Her mother was worried sick, since she was also beginning to get dehydrated from crying her heart out. The rare times she would rest were when finally passing out from exhaustion.

With the death of her father and the defeat of her angel, she was breaking slowly. She only felt despair and pain, which took her will to do anything else. Her golden eyes would blink the tears that kept coming, as she stared lifelessly at the sand flower that kept falling apart. That was the only thing keeping her sanity... Until, suddenly, what was left of the flower collapsed with a blink of an eye.

Her orbs widened in horror.

"No… No, no!" She finally screamed, the sobs taking control of her body, making her shake convulsively.

In her tiny heart, she knew what that meant.

She lost him, too. Her angel was dead.

Somewhere, as the Akatsuki members watched, Gaara's limp body fell on the cave's floor, empty, void of life and free of Shukaku.

The hours felt like years as from then. Ayo thought she could die right then. She was so young, but the pain of losing her father had ripped her heart out, which only hang by a thread that she would call her angel. When she lost her flower, she knew she had lost him and the thread was broken, leaving her chest hollow and dead inside. Her mother forced her to drink and eat, but she moved like a broken doll, automatically, without feeling or awareness.

Inside her mind, Ayo wondered about many things in her robotic state. Her father had been a shinobi from Suna guard. He was very skilled and strong and the Kazekage-chan was said to be the most powerful shinobi of all. At least it was what her daddy had told her.

So why did they die?

She always told her parents that she wanted to be an artist when she grew up. A painter, to be more exact. She used to draw animals and landscapes with her colored pencils, showing a promising skill since she turned four.

Now, only a few weeks before her seventh birthday, she felt like nothing existed in the future anymore. It was all dark and no light could penetrate.

She barely registered when her bedroom door was opened and her mother came rushing in, with tears in her eyes. Tears of relief.

"Ayo, kin! Come! He is back!"

The small girl blinked slowly, trying to grasp the meaning of those words. Her father? No, that was impossible. She attended to his funeral with her mother only a few days before. Then, her brain urged her to figure the next possibility.

She gasped, sitting on her small bed and staring at the pool of sand on her bedside table.

Slowly, the grains restarted to gather, forming the petals of her desert flower.

She felt the warm tears come. Her mother pulled her hand and they ran outside, hurrying to the gates where the whole village seemed to be waiting eagerly for their Kazekage.

Gaara was back.

The weight that was lifted from her could not be expressed in words. She still grieved for her father with every cell of her being, but now hope had returned to her heart. Her angel was standing tall and by his side, there was someone that was as bright as the sun. That was the first time she ever saw Uzumaki Naruto.

Her big eyes registered the scene in pure awe and admiration.

They were all shinobi.

Right then, she knew exactly what she would become when she grew up.


	3. Ayo of Suna

Ayo could hear her heart pounding wildly inside her chest. She looked up, golden eyes meeting her shishou's teal ones. The older woman smiled, a playful glint on her features. She knew exactly why her student was so nervous.

"Don't worry. He will recognize you." Temari started, checking her apprentice from the corner of her eyes. The girl rolled her golden orbs, in an attempt to look nonchalant.

"That holds no importance, Temari onee-chan." She lied, "It's been almost nine years. Many things happened since then. I'm sure he doesn't recall me."

Temari chuckled, waving it off. She knew that the other would hardly admit what she was really feeling, which was dread of being forgotten by Gaara, her idol, the one that became her motivation, as she once confessed, to become a kunoichi.

They finally reached their destination. Ayo looked up, facing the door that stood between her and the Kazekage. Her heart sped up even more and it felt like it was trying to dig a hole through her ribcage. She took one deep breath, closing her shaky hands.

That was it.

The door opened.

* * *

 _~ Flashback ~_

 _Ayo's mother was surprised to hear all the praising. According to the instructors in the academy of Suna, the child turned out to be a prodigy, easily absorbing all knowledge that was shared and reproducing everything that was taught with expertise and skill._

 _The small girl was very focused and determined, not missing anything. That, in addition to her prodigy status, resulted in her turning genin at the young age of nine, then passing the chunin exams by the age of eleven._

 _Following Konoha's directives, Suna sent her along with other chunin to be instructed in medical ninjustu. Once in Konoha, Ayo was Hinata Hyuuga's pupil. During the six months of training, she learned a lot, including that her shishou was in love with the boy she saw many years ago, the one that resembled the sun. He had just become the Hokage. Knowing that he loved her back made Ayo smile. Hinata was an exquisite kunoichi and also lovely and kind. Ayo thought, when she thought about those two; that maybe, just maybe, she had a chance then…_

 _It was a warm evening in Konoha. She had just finished her training for the day and was about to pack when Sakura Haruno arrived to the training site._

 _"Hinata!" The pink haired woman waved, stopping in front of them. The raven-haired smiled, but Ayo just bowed politely, knowing that Sakura was a veteran of the Fourth Great War and also a respected ninja._

 _Sakura noticed the gesture and took a moment to really see the teenager in front of her. There was a radiance, a fire in her golden eyes. "The Will of Fire", Sakura thought, intrigued. She could see the hitaiate that held Sunagakure's symbol._

 _"Hello there." She addressed Ayo with a smile on her face. "So, you're Hinata's pupil. It's nice to finally meet you, I am Sakura Haruno."_

 _"It's an honor, Haruno-san." Ayo bowed again. "I'm Ayo of the Sand."_

 _Sakura looked at the child in front of her. She was very young, but there was an aura that came from her in waves that resembled Naruto's. That made her smile and look at Hinata. "Do you mind if I try a little something out?" She spoke, to what the Hyuuga heiress simply nodded, curiously. "Ayo, would you like to learn something?"_

 _Golden eyes lit up immediately. "Always, Sakura-san!"_

 _The older kunoichi smiled, amused although satisfied with the response._

 _"Try to concentrate your chakra as if you were about to heal someone." Sakura started, watching as the younger looked at her own hand and in a split second, her palm began to glow. "That's good. Now focus it on protecting your own hand, as if healing it before any damage is done."_

 _Ayo's eyes snapped up to meet Sakura's, questioning. "You mean like a shield?"_

 _Sakura nodded, smiling. "Exactly. After that, I want you to keep a thin layer of chakra shielding your hand as you use another amount of it to concentrate and blow it at once as you punch that over there." She explained, pointing at an enormous rock formation on her right._

 _Ayo's eyes widened at the target, but it took only a second before her gaze shifted into a determined stare. Unbeknown to the young ninja, the Hokage himself had just arrived the place. Naruto was looking for Hinata, but stopped to watch the scene, grinning as he listened from afar._

 _What he saw next was hard to believe. Three, two, one and then, an explosion. Sakura and Hinata also stared in shock as the rock was reduced into a pile of grains and pebbles. Ayo turned around, facing them with a humble smile._

 _"Like this?"_

 _A small chuckle came behind Naruto's back and he turned to see who it was. Temari and Shikamaru approached, watching as well. Gaara's big sister grinned proudly._

 _"What do you think, Hokage-sama?" She looked at the chocolate-skinned girl that was now scratching the back of her head, shyly, as Sakura and Hinata congratulated her. "That's my joy and pride over there."_

 _Naruto stared in awe. "She is… Amazing."_

 _They all seemed silently agreeing with that._

From miles away, someone else watched them from a crystal ball.

The sorceress smiled in contempt, her milky eyes widening as she leaned closer to the images that swirled in the crystal, showing her the girl that was originally from Sunagakure. She was one of a kind and that could be an interesting aid to her plans. The eyes that the child had were a giveaway; the vile priestess knew exactly where that child came from, where she belonged.

 _"Ayo of Suna, is that so?"_

Her eerie laugh echoed through the marble rooms, reflecting the insanity within.

 _"We will see about that."_ She whispered, stroking the crystal with her index finger, the same place where Ayo's cheek showed. The creepy action could be mistaken for a sign of affection, but it was pure greed for power that drove her touch. The woman would gather all information she could about Ayo. She felt that the girl would be an important pawn on her chess table...

Her victory would be simply inevitable.

* * *

Ayo opened her eyes and gathered all the courage she had, finally stepping in his office. At least she wasn't alone, she thought, as she glanced at Temari by her side. She couldn't look at him, not from this close, but she felt his eyes burning her as he stared.

"Kazekage-sama." Temari started, bowing respectfully. She acted as a sister when they were in family, but not during official meetings. "I present you Ayo of Suna, jounin at the age of fifteen. She is a candidate for the elite guard of Suna."

Gaara was good in disguising his surprise as he looked at the girl in front of him. He recognized her face and her eyes immediately, although this time she was facing the floor, for some reason not looking at him. He frowned slightly, waiting for her to look up. She did, after a brief moment. There was a sand storm in her golden orbs as she stared into his own, but he gave nothing away, his face lacking any expression.

Her heart broke a little from it.

He saw it in her expression, but she quickly masked it with indifference.

He watched her, curious. She simply bowed once more.

"I hope you will consider me, Kazekage-sama." She spoke, her voice strong but void of emotion.

He felt it actually disturbed him. In his mind, the bubbly voice of the six-year-old still was dear to his heart. Right then, though, in front of him, the now steady and confident voice held a hint of hurt and disappointment…

And he had no idea why.

For Ayo, it felt as if he had never met her at all.

* * *

Ayo of Suna. Jounin at the age of fifteen.

Gaara sat in his office as he studied the files of the shinobi that had auditioned to be placed in the elite guard of Sunagakure. His eyes lingered at the picture in the document he held. The eyes of liquid gold and tanned skin were unmistakable, so he knew who it was before even laying eyes on her name.

Ayo of Suna.

His thoughts took him back to the day he met her, a child with big eyes and wild hair that granted her a nickname she cried about. He stared at the young woman in the picture; there she looked different, yet very similar to the small girl he met sobbing on a rooftop. The wild curls now weighted down in long waves of brown hair, her eyes lined up with dark makeup, traditional for most women in the tribes from the desert, and her lips…

He frowned, looking away. Well, she was definitely not a little girl anymore. He had attested that earlier when Temari brought her to meet him. He always had heard of her apprentice, but he would never had guessed, especially since his sister never once mentioned her name.

He felt himself uncomfortable as he recalled the kunoichi that his sister brought before him; As Temari, the younger woman wasn't wearing the usual shinobi attire. Instead, her body was dressed in fabrics colored in wine and weaving gold medals, her flat stomach revealed as much as her thin waist, a golden top hugging her chest and leaving little to the imagination. On her left thigh, a silver band with the symbol of Suna also stored a kunai. He felt the room suddenly go up a few degrees and sighed, annoyed. Why would Ayo present herself before him in such manner? Could it be that she actually wore that every day?

The thought of all the other shinobi watching her with hungry hawk eyes suddenly was very unsettling to him.

He shook those thoughts away as he forced himself to look at the paper once more, ignoring her photograph and focusing in the words on it. She was a prodigy and her skills were off the charts. Even so, there was a handwritten note tagged to it where his sister suggested he, the Kazekage himself, should train the younger kunoichi in a few specific ninjutsu. Aside of that, he also noticed Ayo spent six months in Konoha learning medical ninjutsu when she was a chunin. That was very interesting and hard to ignore, since none of the other candidates had that knowledge.

He sighed and recalled the look she gave him before leaving.

 _"I hope you will consider me, Kazekage-sama."_ She had spoken.

He found himself staring at the unmoving eyes of hers in the picture once more.

She had looked fairly disappointed and hurt, although she did her best to sound indifferent. In all honesty, he could not tell why he hadn't acknowledged her, then. His eyes widened slightly as he spotted the codename she was called by.

" _Desert Lioness_ , hn?"

He allowed himself a small smile as he looked back into the night when she had called Kazekage-chan. Things really did change with time. He had made his decision, though.

Ayo of Suna was the new member of the Elite guard.

* * *

Ayo excused herself from her sensei and decided to find herself a quiet place to think. She still didn't have a mission and she had just went through a nerve-wrecking meeting with the Kazekage, who did not recognize her.

She let out a bitter chuckle, shaking her head as she walked the streets of Suna. What did she expect? Did she actually think he would recall her and simply fall head over heels at first, or better, second sight?

"Stupid." She whispered to herself, feeling the weird knot on her throat, but did not allow herself the possibility of sharing tears. "Snap out of it, Ayo." She hissed quietly, censoring herself.

It had been months since she had last seen Gaara. Of course, he barely even noticed her, she was always watching from afar and during his appearances to the people of Suna, so she couldn't blame him for that. A part of her, though, actually expected him to notice her somehow, for his eyes to meet hers, anything. When Temari told her she would be taken before him for the meeting, she thought she could actually have fainted. It was finally her chance, he would see her and he would know...

He would remember the one that called him angel, the one that never stopped thinking about him in all those years.

How wrong she was, Ayo thought.

Once in her small apartment, she laid on her floor and closed her eyes, sighing.

Pathetic. She was a respected kunoichi, now. There was absolutely no way she should be feeling sorry for herself over a platonic crush she nurtured in her mind for almost ten years.

Why did her heart feel so bad, then?


	4. Bonding

Teal eyes looked up and met the sight of the reddish sky. The sun was about to set, painting the clouds with orange and maroon. As he walked on the streets on Suna, Gaara heard the sounds that his people made. The street markets were still busy with color and life; music erupted from close, laughter and dance was a part of their way. Shinobi lives had always been tough, but there was a lot more to it. Sunagakure had a particularly rich culture, filled with tales and hardships. The desert was not forgiving, but the people learnt how to survive and find happiness in it.

Gaara himself had gone through a lot of heartbreak caused by those people, but he managed to somehow turn it all into a distant memory. Naruto played a huge role on it, it was true. He came to a halt when suddenly a child ran past him, waving as his parents chased after him and the Kazekage smiled as greeted with respect, as said parents apologized to him and resumed running after their son. The small smile was still on his face as he watched the life he was now responsible for and acknowledged by. He restarted walking, recalling the meeting he was supposed to attend to.

Temari had arranged for him to meet her former apprentice and now one of the elite shinobi from the guard of his village. According to his sibling, it would be a good idea to teach her some ninjutsu, which he found extremely strange since the young woman was now a jounin and, from the information in her files, already excelled in pretty much everything she ever did in her life. He wondered if his sister was plotting something or simply wanting to make her pupil even more skilled than she already was. With Temari, no one could really know for sure.

It did not take much longer for Gaara to reach the gates of Suna. The guards bowed in respect as he left the village, still walking for a few minutes until he reached the place where he was supposed to meet her. A few trees far east unveiled an oasis between numerous sand dunes, a small clearing revealed as he stepped in the hidden paradise.

She was already there. Sitting by the small pond, under the huge leaves of palm trees, Ayo of Suna rested on her elbow, laying on her side as her fingers gently stroked the water beneath. The sunrays, now shining as orange flames, touched her brown hair and skin, barely covered by the extravagant clothes she seemed to insist on wearing. Her bare feet toyed with the sparkling sand, still warm from the sun. His eyes moved from her legs, resting on the sight of her hips and then thin waist, finally stopping on the long mass of hair that flowed down her back.

He let out a breath he did not know he was holding. The view was absolutely breath taking.

"Kazegake-sama. Glad you could make it." She spoke, her slim fingers slowly moving away from the fresh water as she turned to look at him. Her golden eyes sparkled with the reflection of the sun, making her look like a cat.

A lioness indeed, he thought.

He felt his face warm, but convinced himself it was solely a result of being startled by her voice while distracted with her looks. He nodded shortly, taking a few more steps until he was only a few feet away. Ayo stood up, glaring at him, the same look in her eyes from before.

A look that was hiding a lot behind a mask of indifference.

Gaara frowned softly, but said nothing about it. Instead, he decided to go straight to business. If she wasn't comfortable within his presence, there was no need to extend their time together. "We should get started." His deep voice sounded in response, ignoring the slight hint of sarcasm that her voice held when she had spoken. "What kind of ninjutsu would you like me to teach you?"

Golden eyes couldn't hide her confusion as she looked into his. "I apologize, Kazekage-sama, but I have no idea of what you're talking about."

He frowned deeply, noticing her expression was genuine. "Temari said I should teach you…" He started, pausing as he realized what was really going on. He saw as Ayo's cheeks flushed with a lovely shade of red. "Ah, I see. That was not a request of yours, was it?"

The young woman just shook her head slowly, denying it. "I'm sorry, Kazekage-sama. Seems like my sensei got carried away. I don't believe I need your assistance at all and I am positive I did not ask for any of it." She bowed respectfully, taking a step back.

Gaara watched her, feeling a little frustrated from her lack of interest. Next thing he knew, the words came out of his mouth before he could over think them. "Wouldn't you be interested in learning at all?"

Her long eyelashes fluttered a couple of times as she stared at him as if he grew a new head from his shoulder. Ayo was very curious and further confused. Was he actually offering to teach her, in spite of her just boldly declaring that she was uncaring about it?

He seemed to have the same thing in mind, as he scolded himself mentally. What was he thinking? Was he thinking at all, though? He figured he should keep his mouth shut and let her respond, since he didn't trust himself not to make him look even more foolish than he had already managed.

Ayo, on the other hand, had no idea how to reply to this. She was keeping herself at a safe distance, both physically and emotionally, but he caught her completely out of guard. He wanted to teach her, it seemed. She expected him to have simply turned his back on her and left without another word, or maybe to snap coldly at her disrespectful behavior, anything else except that. What should she do? She had no idea.

Her heart spoke through her tongue, ignoring the silent screams of her mind.

"I… Always desire to learn, Kazekage-sama." She spoke with a restrained voice, her eyes never leaving his.

Her words seemed to please him enough and his lips tugged into the smallest of smiles, as he nodded once. "We start tomorrow." His deep voice declared, before he turned around. "Meet me here by sunset." He spoke before disappearing in a twirl of sand.

Ayo watched as he left and her eyes widened at how fast her heart sped up, her hand resting on her chest as she felt the loud pounding inside. She could not believe what had just happened. Overall, it seemed her sensei pulled a trick on her and Gaara, trying to force them to bond… And maybe, just maybe, she had succeeded in the first step of it.

Ayo allowed herself a smile as she proceeded to head back home, not even trying to suppress the thoughts of him. She knew she was being overexcited and that was stupid of her, but she couldn't stop herself from picturing the image of the faint smile he had given her.

As she got home, she walked to her bedroom with slow steps, sighing contently. She had prepared herself to come home from a sad, burdened day after meeting him. She was simply too glad it wasn't the case. As she walked inside her bedroom, though, she felt the cool wind caress her face and stared at her open window, frowning softly. She was sure that was locked when she left. Walking to close it, she felt the faint chakra inside and her eyes followed its source, widening at the sight her eyes fell upon.

Besides her sand flower, a sand cactus rested, the tiny grains sparkling wildly under the moonlight. Next to it, a short note showed an unknown handwriting, but she knew exactly whom it belonged to and her heart raced once more. She walked to it and her fingers grasped the small paper, reading the three words on it.

 _"Happy birthday, Lioness."_

She gasped, surprised, biting her bottom lip as she tried to contain herself and restrain from screaming in excitement and happiness.

He remembered her, after all.

Her angel remembered her.

* * *

The sun slowly started its descent and the desert was shining with it. Ayo was already there when he arrived; the small oasis was the chosen place for their training, whatever it would be. Gaara wasn't exactly sure what to teach her, in all honesty. He just acted in the moment and although he had spent the entire night and day thinking about it, he still had no clue of what to do. He couldn't come up with anything.

Her file came to his mind as he made his way there and he reviewed the information he had. She was a jounin, now sixteen years old; she mastered three types of nature, Earth, Wind and Fire. That alone was already impressive, considering how young she was and that most shinobi only reached as far as two nature types. She did not appear to have any kekkei genkai, although that could not be ruled out considering that last bit of information. Maybe he could try to make her explore that line of training. He wasn't sure.

She was early, but as the day before she did not seem to be waiting for him at all. Instead, she played with a few rocks she had collected as she sat there. She sensed his presence and turned around to face him, not bothering to get up. His teal eyes met her now warm ones, so different from when he first met her at that very same spot. In addition, she was smiling brightly and that alone made his stomach do a backflip. He instantly recalled leaving her a gift the night before, right after their meeting. That was probably the reason behind her offering him that smile and it was another thing he had done that he couldn't really explain. He saw it was her birthday on the file Temari gave him the first day she presented herself in his office, but the reason why he decided to give her a gift was beyond his comprehension. Maybe he simply wanted her to know he did indeed recall her. Although, maybe he had an unconscious desire to see that smile, like the day when he had given her the sand rose.

This time, though, her smile stole him a couple of heartbeats.

"Kazekage-sama. Glad you could make it." She spoke, her slender legs moving from the rock she was sitting on, but she still did not get up. He stared, waiting, until her eyes moved from his to the spot behind her and back at him. A silent invite to sit with her.

Gaara hesitated, not sure if it would be appropriate. He wasn't as carefree as Naruto, who would probably have sat there before the girl even had a chance to offer or protest. Moreover, he was the _Kazekage_ and although he did not think of himself as being above people, there would certainly be a lot of elders and even villagers who would frown upon seeing him so close to her. He blinked a couple of times as he realized he had been lost in his thoughts and that Ayo was waiting, a curious look on her face. Deciding he was being too paranoid and that they were alone and actually distant and off the limits of Sungakure, he walked towards her in slow steps and sat on the spot she had offered.

Her smile then was even brighter and he felt a strange feeling inside, something he had never experienced before. He wondered what that feeling was.

"Ayo." His deep voice started, trying to push that feeling away as he stared in her eyes. "Have you given any thought on what you would like to learn from me?"

The young woman chuckled softly, nodding. If only he knew how much she thought about him. There was certainly a lot he could teach her, her inner self suggested, the perverted depths of her mind making her body react to the image of his hands on her body. A light shiver ran through her, making her jump lightly as her arm accidentally touched his, her cheeks coloring a light shade of red. The sudden brush of her skin on his made Gaara feel like an electric current had passed through his body, as well.

It was… Surprisingly pleasant.

He looked at her, wondering if his closeness was offending and was ready to move away, but she smiled softly, breaking the silence. "I was hoping you could teach me how to control sand."

His lips tugged up in a small smile at the bold request. "I can't say I did not expect that. However, it's a very hard ninjutsu to learn. It can take years before you actually manage to manipulate sand. Are you sure that is what you would like to learn?"

Her golden eyes locked his once more, her head tilting to the side as the sunset rays sparkled on her skin like they did the day before. He felt his heart race slightly, wondering if that was indeed the best hour to meet her for training. He could already tell he would be easily distracted by her under the sun.

"Yes, Kazekage-sama."

For some reason, the way she spoke with the honorifics displeased him. "You may call me Gaara."

Ayo blinked, unable to hide her surprise. It was gone soon to be replaced by mischief as she replied. "Very well, Gaara." His name rolled off her tongue, as sweet as honey. "I am positive that it's what I would like to learn."

He felt the strange feeling once more; no one had ever said his name quite like that and it felt different to hear. He felt different; as if it wasn't simply his name, but something else hidden in the word, as if there were thousands of secrets she could be telling him just by speaking it aloud. Nevertheless, he tried to snap out of his reverie and smiled faintly, satisfied with the drop of his title. His hand reached down and pulled up a handful of sand. "Open your hand." He instructed and she obeyed promptly, opening her palm next to him. Slowly, the ordinary sand escaped his fingers to rest as a small dune on her palm. "Now close your hand and focus, trying to incorporate your chakra in it. It must reach each grain and fill it, so it can become one with your own chakra flow."

"Each grain?" She gasped, staring at the small amount of sand on her hand. It seemed impossible; there wasn't much at all, but even so, she knew there was probably thousands of grains on it. The look of surprise was replaced by a determined expression as she nodded once, closing her fingers around the sand and then closing her eyes as she tried to feel and reach every single grain. She could feel her chakra embedding the sand and Gaara's watchful eyes on her. She couldn't fail. She couldn't embarrass herself in front of her idol, her angel. She could do it.

Gaara stared at the girl, astonished. He could feel she actually managed to reach most of the grains with her chakra, within so little time. "Now open your hand and try to move it gently." He spoke, trying not to startle her as she looked very focused and concentrated.

She did as she was told, opening her hand at first and stared at it for a second before staring back in his eyes. She almost lost her balance, snapping back to the sand and biting her bottom lip as she tried to make it move. Nothing happened at all, so she ignored the frustrating feeling in her guts and tried again and again.

His attention was caught, his gaze shifting as he stared at her mouth, her perfect teeth grasping her bottom lip. He looked away and back to the sand on her hand, trying to ignore the weird feeling that came back inside of him. She got the first part of the jutsu, but seemed to be having problems with the next step. He didn't say anything, though, patiently waiting for her to achieve it or to simply turn to him for advice. What he didn't expect was what came up next.

Ayo pushed her chakra a little too forcefully into the sand and, with a rush of wind, the small dune blasted, the sand flying in every direction. The girl gasped, blinking furiously and covering her eyes with her hands.

Gaara was impressed she actually managed to put the grains in motion, even if it wasn't effective in the end. He couldn't help but let out a chuckle as he reached out for her, holding her chin gently. His deep voice was even as he behaved so out of character, touching her and speaking to her, soothingly. "Ayo. Calm down and open your eyes."

"I can't!" The girl exclaimed, stubbornly trying to pull away from his touch.

He did not falter, though. "I can help. Just open your eyes."

Pouting, the younger did as told and opened her eyes slowly, blinking furiously as tears tried to form because of the intruding grains of sand. Gaara focused on the micro stones and, with a caress of his own chakra over them, pulled them out one by one. As soon as he was finished, she rubbed her eyes softly, sighing in relief.

"Thanks… Gaara…" She started, but her breath was caught as she noticed how close they were. His fingers still held her chin, his breath tickled her lips. Her heart started pounding faster, her own hands trembling softly, resting on him in a sudden response, as she fought for control of her own body and lost it.

Gaara, on the other hand, kept staring in her eyes, his own heart racing at the realization of their closeness, skipping a beat as he felt her trembling hand on his chest. He could feel her scent, of exotic flowers and spices. It made his head go light and he blinked a couple of times, trying to snap out of it. It felt like a genjutsu, but only stronger and not easily broken.

Ayo's heart won it again, her mind desperately trying to stop her as she reached out with her free hand and cupped his face, her thumb stroking his skin as she leaned closer. All the alarms went off in her mind, but she didn't care; she couldn't waste this moment, she couldn't stop then… And she didn't.

Her lips found his and the world suddenly came to a halt. Gaara's eyes widened in shock; right then not only did his sand fail to react, but also it seemed settled with the warmth of her kiss. Slowly, his eyes closed and he leaned into her softness, kissing her back and surrendering to that same foreign feeling that seemed to have snatched his heart with an iron fist.

And just like it started, it was over.

Ayo broke the kiss, breathless, staring at him with a stunned look. Immediately, he regretted having kissing her. She would run away and never speak to him again. He waited torturing seconds for her expression to turn into anger and disgust, failing to recall she was the one who actually kissed him first.

The anger and disgust never showed, though. Instead, a brilliant smile illuminated her face and she got up, taking a step back, her hands resting over her heart. Gaara blinked, confused. What was happening? Was she happy? Didn't he mess up? Then… Why was she backing away?

Ayo thought she would explode from excitement and happiness, but the only response her body had was to back away. She was frightened, but not of him. She was scared of the intensity of what she just felt and it was overwhelming. She didn't want to give him the wrong idea, though, so she made sure to let him know that what happened wasn't a bad thing.

"Thank you, Gaara, for teaching me." She spoke, her voice filled with uncontained joy. "See you tomorrow?" She beamed, bowing once before turning to leave, practically running away before he could even respond.

Not that he would, though.

He was speechless.

* * *

The walk back to the village was something that Gaara could only define as a haze, although there was not any fog nor anything that resembled it. He just wasn't really aware of his surroundings and later he noted that if an enemy or any of the opposition on Suna's politics were to know of it, he would certainly be an easy target to take down at that moment. He wasn't exactly sure what he saw on his way, nor who were the shinobi guarding the gates or even what and who he saw on his way back to his office. Once he got there, he closed the door behind him, walked to his chair, sat down and stared at his desk as if it wasn't really there. Instead, the earlier event was replaying in his mind over and over again.

 _"Thank you, Gaara, for teaching me."_

He sighed, closing his eyes as he recalled her voice, her words, her lips, the kiss… That feeling came back inside him, making his heartbeats faster, his head light, fluttering in his stomach. Both hands ran through his hair and he blinked in confusion. What was this feeling? He wanted to understand it and wished he could talk to someone about it. Naruto? Too far and there was no way Gaara would write a letter about this. Kankuro? No, too loud and unable to keep secrets. Temari? Over excited, not to mention she's Ayo's sensei. His eyes widened at that, a heavy feeling replacing the light one from before. Was it… Guilt? His sister was her sensei. Ayo was simply… Too young.

Gaara frowned, the notion slamming on him hard as a slap on the face.

She was just a little girl when he first met her. An innocent child who saw goodness in him, but still only a child. He was almost ten years older and for some reason he felt like it was terribly wrong. However, was it really? Older people married younger all the time. It sure couldn't be that bad, right? And why, why the hell was he thinking about marriage? What was wrong with him?!

Gaara sighed and let his forehead connect with the wooden desk in a soft thud. He wasn't really good with those things yet.

After hours of trying to get any work done and failing miserably, he accepted that he couldn't think of anything other than her and that was actually keeping him from accomplishing any tasks, no matter how simple they would be. The night went by slowly and torturing and as the sun came up, he still couldn't get her off his mind. The only thing he seemed to be looking forward was the sunset, so he could be able to see her again.

The hours seemed to drag for days as he waited, staring eagerly at the sun as it moved in the sky. After what seemed an eternity, the time came and he got up his chair, making his way to their hidden spot, ignoring Temari's call as he passed by her on the halls. The light, exciting feeling was back in his chest. He was nervous, but also glad. He couldn't wait to meet her. This was a new feeling that he just couldn't shake.

As he finally saw the green leaves from far, he forced his steps to slow down, feeling a little embarrassed from practically running into the oasis. Surely, it would seem very weird if he rushed in it and she saw him in that state, breathless, flush and over excited. He didn't want to look foolish around her. For some reason, he cared about making a good impression when he was around her.

When he stepped closer to the palm trees, he saw Ayo was already there. However, the feeling he got when he saw her was completely different from what he had expected. There was no happiness inside him, no joy or enthusiasm. Instead, his eyes widened in shock as he registered the view.

Ayo looked up, her eyes meeting his and she smiled softly, holding out her hand to him. Her body was bruised, her hands slightly wounded and her skin sunburnt. On her palm, a small amount of sand twirled slowly, faltering and barely holding a shape, but definitely moving with the weakened flow of her chakra.

"Like… T-this…?" She managed to say, more like whispering before she blinked a couple of times, the sand dying on her hand and escaping through her fingers before her world turned dark and her legs gave way as she collapsed to the ground.

* * *

Certainly, no one would ask Gaara why he had rushed back into the village with an unconscious kunoichi in his arms. Of course, no one would dare asking the Kazekage why he looked horrified and desperate as he broke into the hospital and demanded that said woman was cured. Not a single soul would question the agony in his voice, nor its urgency.

They simply obeyed.

When Temari heard the news, she made her way to the hospital in no time. She was also worried, Ayo was her favorite student and very cherished. What she did not expect was to see her younger brother looking so broken. She saw him at the waiting room, seven of the high ranked med-jounin guarding the door that stood between them and Ayo. Confused, the blonde woman looked from Gaara to the guards, who stared at him and then back at her as if to convey a message.

"Sorry, Temari-sama. _No one_ is allowed inside for now."

She got the message very clearly. _No one_. Not even the Kazekage.

Not that those jounin could actually have stopped Gaara, but she suspected that they probably used words to persuade him to stand down and wait. After all, he would get in the way of her treatment if he tried to force himself inside.

She took a better look at him and frowned, clueless. She knew that he had already met Ayo before, of course, since Ayo couldn't shut up about him at all. The younger girl was always talking about him and looking up at him as her idol. Temari was sure the other kunoichi had a platonic crush on Gaara, but she would never expect him to look so… Lost.

He sat on one of the chairs, his flame red hair hiding his eyes, his elbows resting on his knees as he stared at his own hands or maybe to the ground, she could not tell. She could feel the dark aura emanating from him, but it was different from when he was angry. This time it felt like pure despair and sorrow.

"Gaara…" She started, but was cut short from his head slowly turning to her. She gasped with shock.

He was crying.

"Temari…" His voice sounded as broken as he looked. "I am sorry. I didn't expect this to happen."

Her motherly instincts came in instantly and she closed the space between them, kneeling in front of him and holding his hands. "Gaara. What are you talking about?"

"It was my fault." He explained, not fully aware nor caring about the jounin that listened intently. "She wanted to learn it… I would never think she would exhaust her chakra trying to do it, I never thought…"

"Gaara. Stop. It was not your fault at all." Temari had no idea of what he was teaching Ayo, but one thing she knew. "Do you think it's the first time this happened? I brought her to this hospital in this condition more times I can count. She never listens." The blonde shook her head in frustration as he stared at her with wide eyes. "Ayo is stubborn; she will never give up and won't stop until she reaches her goal."

Gaara stared at her for a moment before looking down in defeat once more. _Just like Naruto_ , he thought, sighing. "I shouldn't have tried to teach her something so hard."

Temari chuckled softly. "She's a jounin, Gaara. It's not your fault that she is dense as door, sometimes. Do you think she would have tried anything that was easy? She would be offended if you taught her something simple."

He said nothing more; his teal eyes moved to stare at the door that was behind the med-jounin and to her curiosity, Temari saw a flash of care and agony in his look. Could it be that…?

"Gaara...?" She called and his eyes snapped back to hers, still filled with sorrow. She opened her mouth, unable to contain herself, but then remembered that she wasn't alone with her brother in the first place. That question would have to be saved for later. She squeezed his hands gently and smiled. "She will be alright."

He nodded weakly, hoping his sister was right.


	5. Strength To Endure

**_"_** ** _Shinobi are those who endure._**

 ** _They are those who endure even the most unreasonable circumstances."_**

 ** _Gaara Hiden_**

Three days and three nights. That was the time it took Ayo to open her eyes again. During that period, Gaara was practically residing in the General Hospital of Suna, much to his sister's dismay. Temari had to force him out to bathe and eat, but sleeping was out of the question. The young Kazekage was accustomed with lack of sleep and this time was definitely not easy for him to rest at all. His own heart was restless; he could not stop himself from worrying.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew that he was behaving a little overboard, but he had no time to think it through... He just looked out for any sign; any indication from the med-jounin, anything that could mean that she was all right.

Gaara sat on one of the chairs in the waiting room, waiting not so patiently for any word on Ayo's state when someone joined him. He looked up slowly and watched as the older woman took a seat next to his and smiled at him. He stared at her, confused.

"Kazekage-sama. It is nice to finally meet you. My daughter speaks so highly of you."

His aqua eyes widened as he gave her a second look. The woman had wild dark curls and deep brown skin, but her golden eyes were what truly gave her identity away. He looked down, feeling ashamed.

"You're Ayo's mother." He stated and she nodded, looking at him with a curious expression. He took a deep breath, his eyes downcast. "I apologize. As a sensei, I seem to have failed. I was the one who put her in this condition." He spoke, not daring to look into the woman's face.

She smiled. "Kazekage-sama, please do not mistreat yourself that way." She stared at him tenderly, noticing the care in his voice. "I know my daughter. I have been in this hospital so many times before. She is reckless, but she has a good heart…" The woman got up and stopped by his side, resting a hand on his head and gently ruffling his already wild hair, much to his shock. She laughed softly and he felt his heart calm down a little. Somehow, that action reminded him of his own mother, even though he knew Karura died before ever having the time to do something like that. He looked up, meeting her gaze again. She continued. "So do you. I know in my heart that it was not your fault. Have faith. She will be alright."

As soon as she spoke those words, the doors opened and a med-jounin walked in their direction, a tired smile on his face. "She's awake. You may see her now."

Gaara's eyes lightened up instantly, a wave of relief washing over his being.

Ayo's mother smiled, deciding to stay behind for the while as to give them some privacy. _"Who would have known?"_ She thought to herself as she watched the former jinchuuriki get up and hurry inside to meet her daughter.

* * *

As soon as he closed the door behind him, her eyes were open and she blinked, watching him in surprise. "Gaara…?" She whispered, unsure if it was reality or a dream. He stared at the door for a moment, his back turned to her, refusing to look at her right away. Inside his chest, a turmoil of feelings fought to reach surface. He was relieved, upset, happy, angry, confused and more.

She said nothing more, waiting for him to face her. She was still weak, but in spite of her initial surprise, she was extremely happy because he went to see her. He was a busy man; she honestly did not expect him to be there for her.

She wondered why he was there, in the first place.

Slowly, Gaara turned and their eyes met. Her joyful look crashed into his angry, disheartened orbs. Ayo blinked, her expression immediately switching into perplexity. Her lips parted, but whatever she had to say was lost when his own deep voice interrupted her, bursting with uncontained emotion.

"What were you thinking?!" He exclaimed, his powerful voice making her jump slightly on the bed. He felt like punching and crushing things, just as a mean to pour the emotions that consumed him. Instead, he closed his fists, trying to contain the burning feeling in his throat. "Were you trying to get yourself dead?"

Ayo's golden eyes widened in shock and the beautiful kunoichi opened her mouth once more, but he would not have any of it. With a fierce wave of his hand, he cut her off again. "Save it." He spoke, frowning. "I don't want to hear it. You are not worthy of learning that ninjutsu. I hereby forbid you to ever perform it again."

His eyes burnt holes in her soul, overflowing with rage and passion, but his words were glacial. She could only stare, aghast. "Gaara! Please, I…"

"I am your Kazekage. Don't call me by that anymore." He interrupted, sounding unsure as he paused. A heavy silence followed. She stared at him, horrified. In his thoughts, he censored himself. Was his behavior responsible for what had happened? He was careless; he dropped his shields too quickly when around her. They were not friends, they were nothing but shinobi and that was the only thing they should ever be to each other... So why did he behave differently? By trying to impress him, she almost died. He was not her sensei. He was her leader. Was that the example he wanted to pass on? He was above her in rank, so it was his duty to put them both back in their places. "Your training is over." He muttered, ending it. Before she could say anything, he turned around, opening the door and letting himself out.

Ayo stared at the empty room where he had been just a second before.

Her heart scattered inside.

* * *

Days passed since the incident in the hospital room. Ayo was finally released, all healed and ready for another, although Temari scolded her to the next decade and made sure she wouldn't have missions for a while. Soon, days turned into weeks. With a sigh, Ayo sat in her living room, pulling her legs to herself and resting her face on her knees, feeling miserable. She remembered the last time she saw Gaara and his words. _"Don't call me by that anymore. Your training is over."_

It was by far the worst punishment she had ever had to go through.

Her mother, Imari, was a beautiful woman in her early thirties. She closed the book she held as her daughter sat on the couch, seeming to fail to notice she wasn't alone in the room. The older woman chuckled gently. "Ayo, kin, this is not like you." She pointed out. Naturally, Imari knew everything about the Kazekage's outburst and did not judge him at the least; she had been through the same many times, upon seeing Ayo's stunts nearly bringing her to an early death.

Ayo looked up to see her mother and sighed. "Mom... What am I supposed to do now?"

Imari smiled. "Well, what do you want to do?"

The younger frowned slightly. "I want to talk to him, but I can't."

"Is that so? And why is it?"

Ayo did not know what to respond, so she said nothing and closed her eyes, trying to think of anything. She could ask for an audience with the Kazekage, but it seemed simply too embarrassing considering her reasons. She wanted to apologize and ask for another chance. It sounded easy enough, but at the same time, it felt nearly impossible. She could not bring herself the courage needed for that task.

A few hours later, golden eyes looked out her window and saw the sun at west, ready to retire for the day. Ayo sighed for the millionth time and got up her bed, deciding to go for a walk in order to keep her sanity. After a few minutes of aimlessly walking with conscious direction, thinking about a certain redhead who did not seem to let her heart rest, she was surprised upon realizing where she was. Her feet took her to the oasis, once their training spot. She looked around, feeling nostalgic. A month had passed since she last saw the place, but it looked untouched as the first day she met him there.

It was hopeless, though. He would not meet her anymore, they wouldn't talk nor train, she wouldn't get to see him or kiss him again. A shiver ran through her body at the thought, as she recalled the feel of his lips on hers, his shyness as his tongue touched her own and his taste as he kissed her back. If only she did not try so hard to make an impression, maybe she would be seeing him every day, maybe they could have…

She closed her eyes, hanging her head in defeat. Whatever could have happened did not matter anymore. She messed up. Perhaps she would find a solution for the current situation, but she doubted it would be anytime soon.

Wandering through that paradise between the sands in the outskirts of Sunagakure, Ayo smiled softly as she heard a faint sound of running water and followed it, finding the source; a small waterfall breaking through a large wall of rocks. Her fingers touched the cascade, the water pushing her hand down with the force of the current. The sun was almost gone by then; Ayo felt the fresh water between her fingers and its healing nature power. Her mother used to say that water could wash the worries away. Ayo sighed and splashed some of the water on her face, feeling its invigorating force.

Slowly, she started to strip off her clothes and her bare feet stepped on the cool rocks as she walked under the waterfall, letting the flowing wash her heartache away.

* * *

His forehead hit the desk again and he closed his eyes, hissing in anguish.

Stupid heart. Stupid head. Stupid Gaara.

Weeks had passed and he just could not manage to quit thinking about her. He succeeded in avoiding her at all costs, but it was no use. In addition, his anger quickly had faded away and guilt took place, as he started feeling bad for telling her those things. He was very upset at the time, in truth he still was. Yet, he regretted that immensely.

He missed her.

They barely met for two days and it took her a single kiss to snatch his heart away.

He sat back straight and his eyes stopped at a cactus on his desk, although his mind was far away. He had forbidden her to train his ninjutsu, but he did not actually expect her to follow through his orders. He couldn't help himself from visiting the oasis a few times after their argument, hoping she would be there. He closed his eyes, annoyed with himself. He knew she wouldn't be found there. In fact, he knew exactly where to find her and yet he could not bring himself to just go and see her as he wanted.

If it was what he wanted, why was it so hard to do it?

He cursed himself mentally as he got up his chair, walking towards the window. He knew what he was about to do, where his actions would take him and he knew that it would be fruitless. Even so, he moved as he had done before, as if his body had a will of its own and it did not take long for him to reach the oasis.

Once he got there, he felt her presence right away. His heart sped up instantly and he turned to leave, but somehow his body did not respond. She was so close; he missed her too much. It prevented him from walking away. He could just steal a glance. He was tempted to use the Daisan no Me, but for some reason he couldn't name, he felt that wouldn't be enough. He had to see her with his own eyes.

He walked towards the strong pulsating feeling of her chakra, but once he reached it, he stopped dead on his tracks. His teal eyes widened and his cheeks flushed dark red as he stared stunned at the sight in front of him.

Ayo of Suna bathed in the waterfall, her caramel skin painted by the last rays of sun, completely bare. Her long hair locks flowed down with the water to her waist, a few wet strands snaking through the curves of her full breasts.

He kept staring, frozen on spot. Suddenly, she turned and her eyes met his. Right then, his mind truly went blank. The kunoichi was startled, a deep blush spreading on her cheeks as she gaped in disbelief.

"… Gaara?!"

It was too late to run away and pretend he saw nothing.

He was speechless. Again.

* * *

 _"…_ _Gaara?!"_

His mind went blank for a second. He was caught in the act, but it was an accident. He had no idea she would be _naked_. Either way, he froze as she exclaimed his name. Well, he had done it. His brain restarted to work and he desperately tried to find a good excuse for being there. Naturally, he failed, since he was not used to ever having to give excuses to begin with.

Not once in his entire life he had come across an awkward moment like the one he was trapped in, but all he could really think of was that, even after she saw him and looked indeed shocked, Ayo didn't really seem to be worried about covering herself at all.

Clearing his throat, he forced himself to look away. Which, he noted, seemed harder to do than controlling Shukaku back in the day. He found his voice, his cheeks burning with embarrassment and something else. "Ayo." He spoke, crossing his arms. He was glad he kept a safe distance. His body felt a little… _Rebellious._

Ayo, on the other hand, recovered from her stunned state quicker. "I didn't expect to see you here, Kazekage-sama." She spoke, her voice filled with emotion. Gaara was right; she did not try to cover her body in any way, merely turning to face him as he looked away. She smiled wickedly as she saw the blush on his face.

The use of his title was something he should have seen coming, but it felt like a pin piercing through his skin nonetheless. She had said his name earlier, but that was out of shock. Now she was back to her right mind and went back to using the honorifics… Although there was no way she was in her right mind. Why wasn't she dressing up?

He did not know what to say next. It was just wrong. She was younger, she was his subordinate, she was… Very naked. Incredibly beautiful. Painfully alluring. He felt a storm of feelings twirling inside his body and he knew that the right thing to do was to walk away… Therefore, it was exactly what he did.

Ayo watched as the redhead turned his back on her and moved away. A breathless sigh escaped her lips. Was that how it was going to be, then? Even then, standing bare before him, wasn't it enough to make him forgive her? She saw the look in his eyes. She read his body language. He was _choosing_ to walk away from her; it was not what he wanted. It was what he _decided._

 _"_ _You can't have all things your way, Gaara."_ She thought, frowning.

In a split second, she moved to appear right behind him. His teal eyes widened, his heart skipping a beat as he felt her presence so terribly close. The gourd he used then was a smaller one, attached to his side by a belt, leaving his back free for what she was about to do; reaching out, Ayo wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close, holding him from behind and pressing her body against his. Once more, his sand did not move an inch, not sensing a treat on Ayo's actions. Instead, the grains that were soaked with his chakra seemed to purr in contentment from having her so close.

Although his chakra was calm in his sand, it was a completely different story inside his body. He felt his face grow dangerously warm again, a million of butterflies going berserk inside his stomach. The water on her skin and hair passed through to his own clothes, leaving the back of his shirt wet. Gaara felt the world stop spinning for a moment, as she moved to rest her forehead on his shoulder, feeling her breasts crushed against him, her nipples hard as rocks. He took a deep, shaky breath.

"Ayo…" He managed to say, his voice husky without him even realizing it. Ayo sighed in return, his tone surprising her, sending shivers through her body. He breathed in again and continued. "What are you doing?" He spoke slowly, his hands itching to touch her as he fought with all his might to contain himself.

"Don't go." She promptly replied, her right hand stopping right above his heart, feeling the wild beating under her skin. She mimicked him, taking a deep breath before continuing. "Please stay with me a bit longer."

The silence that followed was heavy with tension. The waterfall and a few animals produced their sounds, but other than that, there was nothing else to hear except the crazy pounding in their chests. Gaara closed his eyes, concentrating as firmly as he could to stop his body from reacting to hers, but it was pointless. When her arms loosened their grip on him, he felt a mixture of relief and disappointment, but it did not last long.

Ayo was not done with her boldness yet. She had no idea of what was happening nor why it came to that point, but she felt no shyness nor fear whatsoever. All she felt was the consuming love she had nurtured for years and the recent and raw desire that had started to creep up in her heart once she met him again after so long, back in his office that day. She took a couple of steps and stopped in front of him, seeing him tense as he heard her move, still keeping his eyes closed.

"Gaara. Look at me..." She whispered. He lowered his head, the red hair shading his handsome features, his eyes shut.

"Ayo, this is not…"

"Gaara, look at me." She repeated, but it was not a whisper any longer; it was a command and the Godaime Kazekage found himself obeying the younger kunoichi instantly, opening his eyes to stare at hers. He gulped once, trying to keep his gaze solely on her orbs.

A small smirk tugged her lips as she ran her fingertips up his left arm, sending shivers through his skin. "Gaara, look at me." She said one more time, taking a step back for him to have an even better view of her body.

The sun had already set, but the blueish rays of the full moon grazed her skin charmingly, enticing. She looked like a succubus, ready to feed on the souls of the poor men who could not resist from the temptation of taking a second look; at the same time, once her smirk shifted into a loving smile, she looked like a fairy, an entity of light and innocence before him. He knew she was none, but more of a mix of both things.

Her bare feet was coated with sand from walking on it with wet skin. Her legs were toned and smooth, as all of her skin; He blushed darker as his eyes reached up and lingered on her sex. Her hips and waist curved perfectly as he gazed up to her belly and breasts, the dark nipples inviting, turning his hands impatient, his body burning from the feeling. Finally, his orbs met hers again and he let out a sigh. It couldn't be helped that he got hard and he was thankful it was dark and not so noticeable. She seemed to know better, though, her unabashed stare travelling down from his to his pants, making him blush even more.

She took a step forward and suddenly he was very aware of her scent, exotic flowers, spices and more. Why was she doing that? He was not sure how much longer he could control himself and his lust was overpowering and painful by then. He moved his fingers to summon his sand to block the view, to push her away, to push himself away, anything. A thin veil escaped the gourd, spiraling up, but the grains fell lifelessly on the ground as Ayo's fingers touched his cheek with gentle devotion and she closed the space between them, capturing his lips in a heated kiss.

His eyes closed again. His resolve to push her away had vanished. All that was left was the feeling of her mouth on his, the taste of her tongue and the way her fingers ran through his messy hair. His own hands moved to grasp her waist and pull her closer, deepening the kiss while he held her against him, sinking into the feeling of _her._

There was nothing else to think, to feel, but her.

* * *

 _"_ _Don't go."_

 _"_ _Please stay with me a bit longer."_

 _"_ _Gaara… Look at me."_

She touched him deeply. Her words replayed in his mind and his heart absorbed the overwhelming feeling. He felt how it was to be loved once more and it fascinated him that it was a different way of loving. He considered himself a lucky man from experiencing so many kinds of love. He first felt it attached to the understanding and friendship he got from Naruto. Then he came to receive love from his siblings, as Temari and Kankurou stopped fearing him and felt free to express their feelings towards him as their younger brother. As a leader, he came to know love from his people, the ones he swore and even died to protect. Then, at the Great War, it came as a shock when he felt the love of his mother, against all odds. He could say he knew what it felt to be loved, but suddenly it was a completely different thing. The love that came from Ayo was astounding; it was a blast mixed with passion and lust, it made his body react blindly to the way she looked at him, to the sound of her voice, her scent, the taste of her lips and the feel of her skin. All his senses felt delightfully enhanced from her, from being with her and somehow he simply knew he would never get that feeling from anyone else.

 _So that is how it feels like_ , Gaara thought as they kissed, his hands on her thin waist, holding on to her for dear life.

That was how it felt to be _in love_.

It was during that kiss; the very moment he realized he was in love with the kunoichi he met as a child, almost ten years before. He never knew a kiss could be so powerful. It was as if he had been taken away from that world and into the next, a better and lighter one. He felt he could fly and as idiotic as it sounded inside his mind, it made him feel happy. Genuinely happy.

He loved her.

All that he went through in his life simply disappeared and he felt he was most possibly the luckiest man in the universe for having that woman in his arms.

A small moan escaped her lips and Gaara opened his eyes, breaking the kiss softly and watching her, ready to ask her if she was all right. He felt wonderful, but that was not the only thing; he felt a desire so strong and urgent, but he was still hanging, although barely, by a thread that allowed him to put her wishes first.

He would never do anything she did not want to.

Ayo's eyes were half-opened and they stared at each other for a split second. "Don't stop." She commanded again and his teal eyes widened before he shut them again, feeling her lips crushing back against his mouth, her tongue dancing with his, making him see stars. Once Temari had said something about kissing and seeing fireworks and Kankurou had laughed. Gaara now understood what his sister had meant by it.

Something about the way that she was naked and held by him while he was still fully clothed was maddening sensual to Ayo. At the same time, she could not help but wanting to feel his skin against hers and her hands travelled down from his red locks to explore his body underneath his clothes. Gaara held back a groan from pleasure and permitted his clumsy hands to do the same to her, feeling her skin react to his trailing touch. Then he did something that he admitted to himself was on his mind since the first time she saw her as a jounin, in his office, wearing that enticing outfit; His hands cupped her full breasts, his thumb massaging her nipple softly and earning him a long, breathless moan from her lips.

"Gaara…!" Her voice gave in and his name came out as a moan followed by another gasp. Hearing her, that way, excited him even more. He never knew he was able to provoke such a reaction and despite his lustful state, he wanted more. His left hand trailed down, his touch lingering on her skin as he finally reached the spot he was aiming for; his fingertips brushed her inner thighs and his eyes were wide as she broke the kiss. What surprised him was the new feeling on his fingers, wet from the moisture that flowed down her skin.

His teal eyes met her golden ones. A blush spread on her cheeks, she was panting and her teeth grasped her bottom lip again. He found that he loved when she did that, since the first time he saw her do it so many days before in that same place. She was his oasis; her sand skin flowed with life from his touch. He kept staring in her eyes as his fingertips brushed higher and higher until they reached the sweet source between her legs and he watched with curiosity and hunger as he discovered her, her orbs rolling back and closing, another moan gracing his ears.

Her legs gave in as she started shaking with the growing feeling that he was building up inside of her and Ayo held his neck for support. It was too much, she needed to feel him and she could not take it any longer. Her hands started to hastily unbuttoning his shirt, eager to see him, to touch him… And that was when they heard an awkward clearing of throat.

Gaara and Ayo stopped dead on their tracks and their heads turned in the direction of the noise, their eyes glowing with shock and both faces as red as tomatoes.

"Sorry to interrupt…" Kankurou started, looking at anywhere but the two in front of them. They did not sense his chakra approaching, that much was obvious. "It could not wait." The older continued, crossing his arms and feeling extremely uncomfortable. "It's the council, Gaara. You're being requested."

* * *

Needless to say, Gaara had to make a stop by his chambers to compose himself. After the abrupt interruption by his brother, he and Ayo did not have much to do besides departing completely flustered. On top of that, the thought of Kankurou seeing her naked was very unsettling, but Gaara was glad that his incredibly perverted sibling was decent enough not to stare and actually left the place as soon as he delivered the message.

It didn't take him too long to be ready and he wasn't nervous as he watched the elders gather. He was rather irritated and frustrated. He did not have enough time to explain as Ayo hurried to dress, mortified by the disruption. She simply laughed nervously and told him that " _it's alright"_ and that they could talk later. She had vanished shortly after it, leaving him alone by the waterfall.

Therefore, it was no wonder why he just stared at the elders with a blank face, hoping they would hurry and say whatever they had to say so he could go and find her as soon as possible, to apologize for the event and maybe even finish what they had started earlier.

Gaara was barely paying any attention to what the council was talking about, so it was only natural that he was caught completely out of guard, especially since the subject was something he would never imagine the elders would ever bring up.

"Twenty-five is a very good age." One of the members spoke.

Gaara nodded, unsure of what to say about it. Where was this going?

"That's why we believe you should take a wife, Gaara."

All sounds ceased and if he could see his own expression right then, he would sure agree it had been priceless. His eyes widened in surprise and he stuttered helplessly. "W-what?" He sounded like an idiot. He was sure he looked like one, as well.

"It is mostly to assure the continuity of the Kazekage's bloodline, you see." The elder continued, ignoring Gaara's alarmed expression. "Naturally, we tried your brother first, but he adamantly refused. You shouldn't worry; arranged marriages are very common in politics."

Gaara had no idea of what to say. So his brother actually dropped the bomb on him. His mind went straight to Ayo. If he had to be rushed into marriage, he already knew whom he wanted to be with. He certainly would not mind spending the rest of his life beside her.

"I see." Gaara started, still feeling a little astonished. His mind tried to work a way to suggest her without making it sounding suspicious. "In this case, I will search amongst our jounin kunoichi for an appropriate suitor."

"Oh, you do not need to concern yourself with that, Gaara!" Another elder cut in, this time an old lady that strongly resembled Chiyo baa-sama. "Suna values blood ties and the tribes from the Land of Wind. We already picked someone. She is a lovely girl."

Words went adrift in his mind as the old woman reached out and handed him a picture of the one they chose to be his wife. She was a beautiful woman. He was lost.

They made it very clear that he had no way of escaping. All was figured out and ready to unfold. He tried desperately to come up with something, but failed miserably.

 _Screaming in the face of death was not a suited behavior for shinobi._

"I understand." Gaara spoke, his own voice sounding foreign and distant. "I respectfully agree with the marriage meeting."

It took all his willpower and strength to pronounce those words.

The happiness he had felt earlier seemed like a remote dream.


	6. Escape

Cat eyes stared at the full moon above. A sigh escaped her lips. It was around 3 a.m. when Ayo finally decided to quit waiting; Gaara would not show up. She wondered what could have happened and hoped he was all right. The memories of the day he was attacked in the village came back to her worried mind, but she shook those thoughts away. Surely, nothing like that was happening then. The village was very quiet and, as she sat on her rooftop, she could see the skies were clean and the night was peaceful.

Why did she have a bad feeling about it, then?

Then again, Gaara never said he would be seeing her after his council meeting. She just _assumed_ it. Disappointment took over her heart for a moment, but she also pushed it away. He was busy, that was it. She convinced herself that it was the reason why he did not come.

The morning next was uneventful. She ran some errands and went for grocery shopping. She still had no missions and she had meant to go see her former sensei, Temari, before the woman went back to Konoha; Her teacher was in a relationship with a man called Shikamaru, from the Nara clan, and for that reason she travelled to the Hidden Leaf village quite often. Truth to be told, it took Ayo a lot not to just go looking for Gaara. Not seeing him was torturing and she had no idea why nor what had transpired. She controlled herself, though, telling herself that she was just acting strangely and out of character. Soon everything would be explained.

She was right about that.

It was past noon when she headed to a teahouse where she was supposed to meet Temari. The caramel skinned kunoichi found herself a seat and proceeded to order a beverage as she waited for her sensei to come. It did not take her long; the blonde walked in only about five minutes after, locking eyes with her golden ones and making her way to their table.

Ayo frowned as she saw the look on her sensei's face. There was something in her expression that made the younger ninja feel the air grow tense. It made her nervous. Something was not right.

"Temari nee-chan." Ayo greeted her and the she smiled faintly, taking her seat.

"Ayo… Thanks for coming. It's nice to see you before leaving." The older started, looking down at the table where her own hands rested. Ayo frowned, already knowing that something was wrong. She waited for Temari to say something, but the other seemed to find more comfort in the silence. Unfortunately, Ayo was not having any of it; the longer the silent atmosphere went on, the more nauseated she felt.

"Temari nee-chan, what is it? What happened?" Her golden orbs widened in fear. "Is Gaara alright?"

A soft sigh escaped Temari's lips. Her greenish eyes stared back at Ayo and there was a sad glint in her look. Ayo felt her throat hurt from anticipation. Something was bad. Really bad.

"No… Gaara is all right. Something did happen, though."

Ayo let out a relieved breath. "Good grief, Temari! Don't scare me like that!" She started, but stopped herself from complaining longer as she saw the sad look remained. "… What? What happened, then?"

There was a heavy silence before the words that followed.

"Gaara is to be married soon. I… I'm sorry, Ayo."

Liquid gold twirled in confusion inside her eyes. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words formed. Temari looked at her with a weird expression on her face. _Pity._ Ayo blinked a couple of times, trying to grasp the words in her mind.

It was naturally a nightmare; she would wake up soon.

She did not.

* * *

Shinobi were those who endured.

Gaara sat at his desk, staring blankly at the photograph on it. The smiling stranger seemed to be staring right back at him. He closed his dark rimmed eyes and sighed.

This could not be happening to him and yet, it was very real.

He would be getting married to that woman and it would be soon. The council had already managed to send a message to her tribe, setting a date for their marriage meeting. It was happening so fast that it seemed as a blur before his eyes. He felt trapped.

He thought about Ayo and the feeling hit him like a ton of bricks. He did not go meet her after the council had decided his _fate_. He wanted to see her and run away from her at the same time. He had absolutely no idea how she would react to the news and he wasn't looking forward to telling her. He knew he was being a coward. It felt like once he told her, it would be officially part of his reality. Somehow, in his mind, he still denied the idea.

He still hoped it was only a dreadful dream that he would soon wake up from.

It did not happen, though.

A voice interrupted his thoughts. "Kazekage-sama. Ayo of Suna requests an audience."

"Ah." Gaara replied, feeling his heart race in spite of the blank look he gave the messenger that had just announced her presence. He wondered if she already knew about it; he suspected Temari would have told her by then, but he selfishly hoped Ayo remained unaware of the news. "Send her in."

The man bowed respectfully and left. The door opened shortly after and Ayo walked inside, her eyes downcast as she stared at the floor, walking towards him and stopping a few feet away from his desk.

Once they were alone, the door securely closed behind her, she looked up to meet his eyes and he saw it in her look. She knew it already and it broke her. He felt like his heart crushed into nothing as he saw the pain that radiated from her.

"Is it true?" She started, objectively. It felt like a slap on his face.

"Yes." He replied, his own voice sounding distant and alien.

Emotions burned in her throat, but she simply nodded; the room seemed to spin for a moment. Her view flashed black for a slip second and she closed her eyes, fearing she would lose her balance. She took a couple of deep breaths before continuing. "… Why didn't you tell me, then?"

Her voice sounded cold. The look in her eyes changed. Gaara saw it before, although it was a thousand times worse then. He did not know what to say. Speechless, words failed him, leaving him empty. She glared at him as she waited, but it only made him feel more miserable and helpless.

 _I did not know. I didn't plan it._ Somehow, though, he could not bring himself to say it without making it sound like pathetic excuses. Nothing he would say could change the fact that he was going to get married and that they wouldn't be together. He knew that no words would soothe her heart, nor his… So he said nothing.

It was the wrong move, though.

Ayo shook her head softly. "Alright. So be it. Just tell me one thing…" She opened her eyes and stared fiercely at him. "Did you even consider me? Did the thought of me ever cross your mind?"

 _If only you knew_ , he thought as he sighed and rubbed his eyes, suddenly feeling very tired. The situation was draining. "Ayo…" He started, but, once again, he had no idea of what to say. It was all very new to him. He stared down at his desk once more, his eyes stopping at the photo in front of him. Her eyes caught the movement and she felt the world spin again. Steading herself, she leaned on his desk and snatched the photograph away before he could blink. His eyes widened at her as she stared at his wife to be.

"I see…" She murmured, her voice soaked with sorrow. She placed the photo back on his desk and stared at him, wrongly taking his lack of response as a 'no'. "I understand."

"… We are shinobi, Ayo." He stated, lamely. It was another _mission_. Couldn't she understand that? He never chose it. They handed it to him as a hand grenade and he could not let it blow up the entire village. He had no choice.

His words cut deep into her soul. _We are shinobi._ The hidden meaning of it stung. _In other words, suck it up_. He was the Kazekage. She was a low jounin and he was marrying someone clearly influential. She was also incredibly beautiful and feminine. Refined. Delicate. She closed her eyes, recalling the image of the woman in a lovely kimono, her hair done perfectly, her fair, flawless skin and rosy lips.

They were shinobi. Shinobi were those who endured.

Flashes from her childhood came back to her as she recalled seeing Gaara and a boy like the sun. The whole village cheered. Ayo, even in her short existence, had already decided she wanted to be a shinobi, just like her angel were. She became a shinobi and, in the end, it hurt her terribly.

Without thinking on her actions, her hands moved to the fabric around her thigh, brushing the metal band engraved with the symbol of Sunagakure. Teal eyes followed her gesture and widened at it, watching as she tugged at the knot on it.

"What are you doing?" He asked quietly. He had a bad feeling about it.

At such young age, Ayo had known what pain was. She lost her father and almost lost Gaara, but she could endure it. She could endure because she got her angel back and always looked up to him. However, she had tasted the happiness of having him in her arms and it was taken away hastily, breaking her heart into millions of charcoal pieces. She did not care anymore. She could not look at him. She did not _want_ to look at him. She could not stand being around him, not knowing he would not be hers.

"Kazegake-sama…" She started, bowing before speaking the following words. "You are a true shinobi. I suppose I am not fit for it..." Her fingers finally tugged the fabric free and she pulled the hitaiate away from her body. "Therefore, I quit. I am no longer a kunoichi of Suna."

Gaara stared at her incredulously. He was positive he had heard it wrong. She stared at the band in her hands with a lost look and he realized it was not the case; he did hear it right. She had said it.

"… You cannot do that." He spoke, his deep voice masking all he felt.

She stared at him then, her own eyes now lacking their usual brightness. "Is that so?" Her voice sounded distant. "Watch me." She snapped and with that, her hand moved swiftly, throwing the object, the ninja band falling on his desk before him.

Gaara stared wide-eyed, speechless as she looked away and bowed once more, turning her back on him and walking away.

Not once she looked back.

Deep down she hoped he would stop her.

Deep down, he hoped she would take it back.

None happened.

* * *

After speaking to Gaara, it did not take long for Ayo to get home. Her legs carried her in a quick pace, leaving the path and everything else behind, her eyes barely registering whatever she saw on her way. Once she got to her room, she closed the door and leaned against it, letting her body slide to the floor. Her heart seemed like it was about to explode, her throat burned. Her eyes stopped at her bedtable, seeing the sand flower he gave her the first time she met him.

It was overwhelming.

Her hand reached out, pressing the spot above her heart as she gasped, breathless. The tears finally came, flowing down her cheeks as she fought to contain the violent sobs that crashed through her body. The pain she felt was suffocating. It was worse than any cuts she got on missions, worse than all the wounds she ever got on battle.

Ayo did not know how to live without loving him. The notion was destructive, impossible to bear. Hours passed as she cried her heart out until finally she felt her body numb from it. Once the tears ran out, she was exhausted, feeling her eyelids heavy from it; she looked out her window, wondering how much time she had sat there, on her floor. The sky was already dark, the moon already high.

She got up slowly, feeling weak. Walking to her windowsill, she stared outside. Her room had a nice view of Suna. She stared at it with puffy eyes, memorizing each detail she could grasp. There were many photographs in her room. She could see herself and her mother in one of those. There was another where she posed with her sensei and her two comrades from her genin team. Her eyes stopped at a drawing she had of Gaara, made when she was about 12. She was good at it; once she had dreamt of being a painter. She stopped in front of the image and her fingers gripped the frame as she stared closely. Gaara looked as handsome as ever in it, a small smile on his lips, just like the one he gave her when they met at that rooftop, years before. She stared at it blankly, putting it back on its place. Her eyes finally found another picture. Her first day in Konoha; Hinata had insisted in taking a picture with her.

Ayo stared at the picture and blinked slowly, the idea forming in her mind. She felt her heart break once more, but the thought gave her some comfort. She looked at Gaara's image once more before turning it down to face the wood, out of her sight. She stared the view of Suna one last time, her mind set.

It was her only escape.

* * *

"Gaara."

The voice brought him out of his trance. Truth to be told, he wasn't paying his work any attention. He had been staring at the same document for over twenty minutes. He looked up to see Temari walking up towards him, a worried look on her face.

Not many people barged in his office like that, but she wasn't just any people.

He said nothing as she approached; he merely stared back at her, helpless. He knew she probably spoke with Ayo and came to scold him, to make him force the younger kunoichi to take her job back. His teal eyes stared at the discarded hitaiate on his desk, neatly folded by himself, as if it was resting there and waiting for Ayo to retrieve it. He looked back at his sister and sighed.

"Gaara, where is she?"

His eyes widened at the question and he flashed her a confused look. "I'm sorry…?"

"Ayo. I know she probably came to talk to you after I told her the news… However, that was two days ago." The blonde sighed too, shaking her head in frustration. "I have no idea of where she went and even her own mother doesn't have a clue…"

"What are you saying? She left Suna?" He could not hide the shock in his voice. He recovered quickly, his eyes downcast. "Iie. I hardly think so. She just needs time, Temari." He closed his eyes, his palm resting on his face as he spoke, trying to convince himself of that as well. "It was unexpected. She will come around."

She perked a brow, crossing her arms at the guilty hint in his voice. "What did exactly happen between you two? What did you say to her when she came to see you?"

The Kazekage did not bother looking at her, barely letting out another sigh. He knew Kankurou probably told her what he saw in the oasis, his brother was too loud and unable to keep secrets unless related to missions or politics. "I didn't have a chance to say much. I just confirmed it."

Temari hissed, pointing an accusing finger at him. "Gaara! You can't fool around with someone like that. If things happened between you too, why didn't you just tell her the truth? You should have told her that none was your fault and that the council pressed you into doing it!"

He stared at her, miserably. "… I had no idea. I am not good with emotions, Temari." His hand grasped the hitaiate. "She left this. She said she was quitting being a shinobi of Suna."

Temari was shocked. "Impossible…"

"I think the same." He said, although his voice was unsure. "She will come back for it, Temari. Don't worry."

"Gaara…" The worry was back in her eyes. "I'm not so sure. She would never leave like that if she didn't mean what she said."

He stared at the band in his hands. "I will send a team to look for her."

His sister sighed. "If she doesn't show up, she will be declared a rogue ninja. Gaara… You may think she will come back, but I know my student. She is passionate and she was in love with you." His eyes widened at the last bit of information and suddenly his heart seemed to weight a ton. "She has been since a child. There is no way she would take this lightly, especially since you two… You know." She blushed faintly and looked away, knowing too much. "I know it wasn't your intention to hurt her, but she must be feeling like you played with her feelings. Women are complicated and men are just very, very stupid." She crossed her arms. "You have to make this right. Bring her back, no matter what. I don't want to move out of Suna knowing that my favorite pupil is being declared a rogue ninja. Fix. It." The last two words were a clear threat and she turned around, leaving him with his own thoughts and another problem at hand.

His marriage meeting was in a week and he had a missing kunoichi to find.

 _As Shikamaru would say: What a drag._

* * *

Two ninja played cards quietly when she walked closer, making her way straight to them. The men looked up and both blushed softly as they saw her, but she did not pay it any mind. She was already used to that kind of reaction. _It was the clothes. Always the clothes._

"Good afternoon." She greeted, smiling softly. She waited for them to speak, knowing that it wouldn't take long for them to notice the lack of identification. She did not have the Sunagakure band anymore.

"Good afternoon, miss. Please state your name and village."

"I am Ayo of Suna." She spoke. Before she could continue, though, someone cut in.

"Would you look at that? It's been a while…" He started with a dragged, lazy voice, walking in her direction with his hands on his pockets. "Welcome back to Konoha."

She chuckled softly, bowing at him. "Shikamaru-san. It's nice seeing you again."

* * *

"So, what brings you to the Leaf?" Shikamaru started as they walked together. Ayo first met him a long while ago, when she was just a genin taken under the wings of Temari. He taught her how to play Shogi and a lot about war strategies.

"Oh, you know..." She looked down not wanting to lie to him, but also unable to say the truth. "I needed some time off…" It was true, although not all of it. He did not press it.

It was one good thing about Shikamaru. He just did not mind much.

"Hinata and Sakura will be pleased to see you after so long." He said. "How long are you staying?"

"Well… It will depend, really…"

"On?"

She stopped and took a deep breath. "On how long the Hokage will allow me to."

Shikamaru raised a brow at the statement. "I see. Do you wish to speak to him? I can arrange that."

Another good thing about Shikamaru: He was the Hokage's advisor.

"That would be great, Shikamaru-san… I'd be even more grateful." She smiled faintly and looked down at her feet once more. She didn't want to sound desperate, but it could not be helped. "How soon could you arrange a meeting?"

"How about now?" He spoke, raising his hand and pointing at a ramen restaurant. Her eyes followed, glimpsing a long white coat with bright red words that spelled _Seventh Hokage_ on the back. Shikamaru laughed. "He's always there. Come on."

She walked inside the restaurant and the first thing that caught her attention was a flash of messy blonde hair that seemed to point in every direction. She blinked slowly as she stared at Uzumaki Naruto.

 _The boy that looked like the sun._

* * *

It wasn't the first time she stepped inside the Hokage's office, but back then the one she faced had been a man with white hair that also seemed to boldly defy gravity. _Kakashi Hatake_ , she thought. It would be a lie if she said she didn't have a school girl crush on the sixth Hokage during her stay in Konoha, but then again all the girls felt the same way. The man was inexplicably appealing. She found herself wondering how he looked after all those years.

Snapping back to reality, she stared at the smiling blonde that stood tall in front of her. Shikamaru had stayed behind, which she was grateful. She knew he had done it to respect her privacy. The man was a genius after all and she was sure he already knew that something was up, even though he did not force her to say a thing.

"So, Ayo of Suna, right?" He started. "Please feel welcome in Konoha. We have been allies for years. I hope you enjoy your staying."

She nodded and bowed respectfully. "Hokage-sama. Thank you for your kind words."

Naruto watched her and grinned at ease. "You look familiar. You used to be Hinata-chan's student, isn't that right?"

Ayo smiled warmly at the mention of her shishou. "Yes. I miss her a lot. I hope I will get a chance to see her."

"She is at the village, so you will see her alright." He smiled. "So, what can I do for you? Shikamaru said you wanted to ask me something."

The kunoichi felt sudden nervousness. "Yes…" She took a deep breath. "Hokage-sama, I understand it's not a usual request, but I was wondering if I could be instated as a shinobi of Konohagakure."

There was a moment of silence before Naruto frowned gently, staring in her eyes. "You want to be moved to Konoha?" She nodded. He looked confused. "Why?"

She felt guilty, but there was no way around it. She hoped she would not have to lie. "I like the weather here." It wasn't a lie, although she loved Suna's as well. "I fell I need a change of air." Also not a lie. She was doing all right so far.

Naruto thought about her words. Indeed, it wasn't usual for a shinobi to ask to be moved out of their original village. He did remember the girl. She was brilliant and learned things fast, which rather reminded him of Sasuke and Neji. At the same time, she was humble and kind and did not let the easy success come up her head, sort of like Rock Lee. She was a gentle med-nin, as well as a skilled taijutsu user. He hadn't seen her use ninjutsu and genjustu yet, but Hinata always praised her as being the most talented student she ever had. He looked back at the kunoichi, clueless as he wondered why Gaara would allow such a talent to slip through his fingers like that.

She felt her heart speed up as she waited for his response, watching as Naruto scratched his chin in thought. She had no idea of what the Hokage was thinking, but she feared he would deny her request flatly. It was a surprise when his face brightened up in a huge smile and he gave her the thumbs up.

The Kazekage was his dear friend, but there was no way Naruto would let such a prodigy escape. He nodded, satisfied. She would be a great addition to Konoha's force. He would have to study her files, but so far, he had a feeling that she was a good. "Alright! Ayo of Suna, Konoha will be glad to have you."

In spite of her current heartbreak, she could not help but to give him back a happy smile as she saw his face.

He was indeed as bright as the sun.

* * *

More than a week passed since Gaara had last seen Ayo.

The searching team he sent had been exceptionally incompetent in finding her. She was a jounin considered to join the black ops and the lack of leads on her did not really surprise him at all. Gaara knew that if she didn't want to be found, she would do an excellent job in hiding.

Temari postponed her trip to Konoha in order to wait for Ayo's return. Not a single day passed without Gaara having to endure her menacing looks and verbal threats. On top of that, the marriage meeting would happen at that night and he looked forward to it as a man who expects an agonizing death. The Kazekage sighed, frustrated.

How was he supposed to go on a _date_ with someone when he couldn't stop thinking of another?

A jounin excused himself and walked inside, respectfully bowing before speaking. "Kazekage-sama. Ayo of Suna requests an audience."

His teal eyes widened for a split second, but he quickly recovered, nodding once. "Send her in."

His voice betrayed emotion, but inside he was terribly nervous. His eyes stopped at her hitaiate and he smiled faintly, feeling a soft wave of relief. She was back. He was starting to think the worst, but it would all be all right somehow. He would do as Temari said. He would tell Ayo the truth; he would let her know that he never chose it. He didn't expect her to forgive him, but at least she would know it and maybe someday she would understand. He would have to settle for seeing her from distance, but it was better than nothing.

She walked inside and he felt his heart skip a painful beat. She was indeed the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his life. His eyes lingered on her, watching as she stopped a few feet away, looking down. He waited for her to speak first and they stood like that for a moment until she took a deep breath and broke the silence.

"Kazekage-sama." She started, bowing. Her voice was not cold as the last time she spoke to him. Instead, she sounded sad and resigned. "Thank you for allowing me this meeting."

Gaara watched silently, a terrible feeling taking over him. He didn't like that way she sounded. He didn't like the formal words and he definitely did not like the fact that she didn't look at him at all.

She waited for him to speak, but when no words came, she continued. She couldn't look his way; she knew that if she did, she wouldn't be able to carry on. It took all her courage to speak the following words. "I came to respectfully ask for my relocation to Konohagakure."

Silence. His relief was gone, replaced by utter disbelief. "W-What?" His eyes were wide. There was no way she had just said that. It could not be.

She closed her golden eyes and inhaled deeply, repeating the same words. "I came to respectfully ask for my relocation to Konohagakure."

He blinked, a rush of feelings invading his chest. Shock. Panic. Hurt. Despair… Emptiness and finally, sorrow.

Once more, she waited for him to speak, but nothing more came. She felt her throat burn again, but still she refused to cry. Instead, she swallowed the pain and opened a folder she held, handing him a document. "I already got the accept from the Hokage." She went on, placing the paper on his desk in front of him, since he made no move to catch it. "I just need your signature."

His teal eyes looked up at hers, but she still did not look at him. He resisted the urge to place a hand on his heart; the pain was lacerating. "Look at me." His voice was quiet, but deep as a never-ending abyss.

She made no move, still staring down her feet. "Ayo, look at me!" He snapped, his deep voice filled with anger. She simply closed her eyes again. He could not take it any longer. "If you want me to sign this, you will say so as you look into my eyes."

It seemed like an eternity, but it only took her a moment. Her eyelids opened slowly and he watched as her sand eyes looked up and stared into his.

"I want you to sign it now… Kazekage-sama."

Time stopped. Sound died. There was not a sign of living things as he stared at her. He opened his mouth, but no words came. He stared at the paper for a while. Thoughts scattered in his mind. He could refuse to sign. She would have to stay and if she went ahead and deserted, she would become a rogue ninja, probably put on the bingo book along with S-rank criminals. He could force her to stay.

Except he really could not.

 _He wouldn't do anything she didn't want to._

His fingers closed around the brush and he let the ink touch the paper, signing it and slowly handing it to her. She held the paper and it took him a second to let it go, watching as she stored it in the folder and bowed respectfully, making her way out of his office.

 _Out of his life._

He felt like she pushed a kunai in his heart and twisted it, tearing the organ apart and leaving him alone to bleed.

* * *

Travelling back and forth in such a short space of time got Ayo exhausted. This time was harder, as she made her way back to Konoha. The journey was harsher; it took her more than the usual three days since she was tired from the previous trips and was also carrying more weight than before. She left most of her things behind, but still carried a considerable amount of items on her back.

The fourth night was warm, but she could already feel the fresh feeling from Konoha's weather. She stared at the clear sky, counting the stars in it. Her thoughts brought memories of Gaara and she closed her eyes, sighing. Remembering his touch and kisses felt very real and it made her throat burn with unshed tears. She looked up again, blinking the feeling away. She would have to forbid herself from thinking of him. She could not wait to get to Konoha; once there, she would have tasks and people to distract her from the thought of him.

The next day went by in a determined pace. Ayo stopped as she reached the huge gates of Konoha and a soft smiled graced her features as she took a deep, tired breath. _Finally_ , she thought.

She would make the Leaf her new home.

Unbeknown to her, a pair of Sharingan watched in contempt as she crossed the gates of the village.

* * *

 _~ Flashback ~_

 _Ayo was 12 years-old when she started her training in Konoha. It had been only a few weeks and she had already advanced in her medic ninjutsu training with Hinata. Everyone seemed in awe as they watched the chuunin from Suna progress rapidly. A prodigy, such as Kakashi Hatake, Itachi Uchiha and Neji Hyuuga._

 _Someone else seemed to notice the same._

 _It was a warm afternoon, that day. Ayo was dismissed from her training earlier, since it was a Saturday and it seemed she and Hinata had covered the entire program for the day. A festival was about to happen and it seemed fireworks were involved. Suna also had those and it made Ayo feel a little homesick._

 _Before the sun was set, the young kunoichi made her way to a secluded area; one of Konoha's training grounds. It was a little far off the village, on the way to the border. She liked to go there and stare at the horizon where Suna was supposed to be, in the distance. She wondered how everyone was, her mother, her sensei, her friends and her angel._

 _Her reverie was cut short when she heard a blasting and shortly after, a sound that resembled the brushing of leaves. Ayo pulled out a kunai and turned around to face the source of the noise, but her eyes widened at the sight; A boy, just a little taller than she was, stumbled forward slowly, his hands clutching his side, a trail of blood making its way through his fingers. On his forehead, he wore the band with the symbol of Konoha._

 _She gasped in shock and ran to him just in time to break his fall. He grunted in pain and gave her a painful look._

 _"_ _Don't worry, I can help!" she exclaimed._

 _Laying him gently on the grass, Ayo slowly moved his hand away from the wound. He tried to cover it once more, a scared look on his face as he watched her, but she smiled softly. "Stay still… I won't harm you. Please let me help…" Her soft voice seemed to soothe the boy, who didn't seem much older than herself._

 _He watched as her hands pulled up his shirt to reveal the slash on his skin. It was ugly, covered with burnt spots on his skin. She narrowed her eyes, recalling the steps Hinata taught her. Her palms started to glow as she placed them above the bruise and she concentrated, slowly healing his wound._

 _After a few minutes, Ayo was done and the bruises were gone from his body. The boy stared in awe and turned his eyes to her, sitting up slowly, a faint blush on his cheeks. "Thank you…" He spoke, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. "I thought I had messed up for real this time…"_

 _"_ _No need… What happened? Did someone attack you?" She asked, instinctively holding her kunai once more as if she was expecting danger._

 _The boy blushed darker, looking away. "Ah… Not really." He sighed. "I did this to myself."_

 _Ayo stared at him in disbelief. "What? Why would you do that?"_

 _The boy pouted. "It is not like I wanted to!" He crossed his arms. "I am helping with the fireworks." He looked at his hands, shyly. "I was curious, so I wanted to see how they worked... So I lit one up, but it sort of exploded before I could get on a safe distance from it." He muttered the last part. "You must think I am an idiot."_

 _Ayo giggled, shaking her head gently. "You're not an idiot. Just clumsy. Try to be more careful!"_

 _The boy stared at her golden eyes and the blush seemed to spread all across his face. "T-Thanks, I will try…"_

 _Ayo got up and held out a hand to help him, which he gladly accepted. She wasn't aware someone else was staring at the whole scene. Before she could react, she sensed the shuriken at full speed, directed towards them. Pushing the boy out of the way, she gasped as she felt the sharp pain of the weapon breaking through the flesh of her arm._

 _"_ _Interesting." The attacker spoke, coming out of the shadows of the trees. He was tall and looked strong, wearing armor of some sort and there was no village band on him. He wore maroon armor over his clothes, his eyes dark as ravens, same as his long, spiky hair. She couldn't see his face clearly and she wondered if it was some sort of genjutsu. Ayo had no idea who he was, but she wasted no time, pulling the shuriken out and covering her wound with her hand, healing it instantly._

 _"_ _Who are you? What do you want?" She spoke, her voice faltering slightly, but still demanding an answer._

 _The man chuckled somberly. "Show me a little more of what you can do, child."_

 _Ayo didn't get a chance to reply. The man started to produce hand signs and her eyes widened slightly before she jumped away from the boy she had just healed and started doing the same, although hers were different._

 _The man did not have to say a word as a massive fireball was sent her way. She frowned, her hand hitting the floor just in time to block it._

 _"_ _Doton: Mud Wall Jutsu!" She screamed, a massive wall coming out of earth in time to divert the flames._

 _The man launched forward, punching through the wall effortlessly. She jumped away, watching as he chuckled. He seemed to be enjoying himself._

 _"_ _That is nice, but I am willing to bet you can do more." He spoke and she recognized the next sequence of signs. Wind Style. She didn't even stop to think as she moved again, blocking it with fire release. The offending shinobi was quick enough to avoid the blast of flames that backfired in his direction._

 _"_ _Earth and fire? That was nice. What else?" He screamed, and his dark eyes were lit up with excitement as he launched once more. Ayo frowned, confused, but she still had some chakra left. Surely, someone would come help in time._

 _She jumped as the man cast large waves of water in her direction, her eyes widening when he combined it with lightening style. Who was that man? She knew for a fact that most shinobi couldn't use more than two nature types and that she was one of the rare exceptions, but this person used four already. She was falling and knew that if her feet touched that water, she would be done for. Not able to think of anything else, she bit her thumb._

 _"_ _Summoning Jutsu!" She screamed just in time and a lion jumped on a rock for impulse, carrying her and landing on top of a tree nearby. Then, wasting no time, Ayo killed the lightening with a powerful wind style ninjutsu, making the waves crash violently against the enemy._

 _A moment of silence passed as the water suddenly disappeared and the man stood in front of her. She jumped from the tree, the lion trailing behind her. She stared at him with sharp eyes, waiting for his next move. Slowly, six lionesses joined the pack that was summoned, making their way slowly as they watched the pompous prey in front of Ayo._

 _"_ _That was impressive. Who would know a woman, let alone in such a young age, would be able to manipulate Earth, Wind and Fire release?"_

 _Ayo frowned. "Who are you?" She repeated, fury boiling up inside. It did not help when he laughed, only fueling her anger._

 _"_ _You will know in time… For now, I have had my fun. We will meet again, Ayo."_

 _With that, the mysterious man disappeared, leaving her in shock and confusion. What was that? Who was he and how did he know her name? Before she could come up with a theory, she remembered the boy she was helping before and she gasped in worry, looking around for him. It didn't take her long to find him, sitting on a tree branch and looking pale as a paper sheet, trembling and watching her with wide, scared eyes._

 _She made her way to him, kneeling by his side._

 _"_ _W-what was t-that?" He stuttered lamely, pointing a shaky finger at the spot where the man had just disappeared._

 _"_ _I don't know…" Ayo replied, still clueless. "We should get back to the village now." She helped him up and he nodded, speeding up with her as she made her way back._

 _Before she could reach the gates, they stopped. "Thank you… I believe I can stand now." The boy said timidly, scratching the back of his head again. "Are you sure you are alright?"_

 _"_ _I'm fine, don't worry." Ayo said, smiling gently. "Come on, we're almost there."_

 _"_ _I should not…" He frowned and sighed. "I still have to help arranging the fireworks for tonight… They will kill me if I mess this up." He smiled sheepishly. "I should head back… Anyway, thank you for helping me… And saving my life."_

 _Ayo nodded and smiled once more, turning to leave._

 _"_ _Wait!" The boy asked and she turned to face him again, amused as a dark red blush spread on his cheeks. "What is your name?"_

 _"_ _Ayo, of Suna. And you are?"_

 _"_ _Izuna." He replied, smiling._

 _"_ _Nice meeting you, Izuna!" She waved and went back on her way, disappearing from his sight._

 _The boy watched as she moved away. "Ayo…" He muttered, his smile turning into a sly smirk as his charcoal eyes twirled into pools of deep, blood red. Sharingan. "Nice to finally meet you."_

 _From thousands of miles away, a third person observed, the pale, milky eyes lit with raw excitement._

 _"_ _Finally..." The priestess from Oorun whispered, stroking her crystal ball. "The wheels are spinning faster. It shan't take long, now."_

 _~ End of Flashback ~_

* * *

"Thanks for letting me stay, Hinata nee-chan."

She placed her luggage next to the bed and looked around the huge room, smiling softly. Hinata smiled back, shaking her head slowly. "There is no need to thank me, Ayo-chan. I am happy to see you and glad you are staying with us."

The Hyuuga compound was enormous and Ayo wondered if she would have a hard time finding her room before she got used to it. Either way, she couldn't be more grateful.

Hinata's smile never faltered, but her words were firm. "I know something is going on, Ayo-chan. Since you are so tired, I will let you take a shower and rest. After that, please talk to me. I would like to try and help."

Ayo stared at her feet, knowing she owed her shishou that much. "Alright… Of course." She smiled at the Hyuuga heiress. She did not mind it much, after all. It would be good to vent and tell someone she trusted about everything. Temari wasn't there and she was Gaara's sister, after all. Ayo didn't think she could talk to her sensei without receiving biased opinions. Maybe talking to Hinata would help her take some of the weight off her chest.

The kunoichi from Suna took a long, refreshing shower and let her tired body fall on the soft mattress. She sighed, staring at the ceiling, her eyelids heavy from exhaustion. She blinked a couple of times before her stare fell on the bedside. She felt that painful knot in her throat. She had left her sand flower behind, along with all the drawings she had made of Gaara. She missed the gifts she got from him, but it was for the best. She did not need a daily reminder of him.

Closing her eyes, she fell into deep slumber, filled with dreams of the Kazekage.

* * *

Ayo woke up in the middle of the night and as much as she tried to fall back asleep, she failed. The fresh air of coming autumn entered through her window, the scent of fresh leaves and flowers invading her room. In Suna, the temperature would be lower, much colder than it was in Konoha, but Ayo didn't mind. The change of air was comforting.

She wasn't hungry, due to the Hokage's insistence of taking her to try Ichiraku's ramen right after their last meeting. The man was overexcited. Telling him that she had already tried it was no use; he loved that restaurant, it seemed. She smiled at the memory and got up slowly from bed, stretching as she did so. She was wearing her usual outfit, since it was only afternoon when she got on bed and she didn't expect to sleep that long.

Her room had two doors, one leading inside of the compound and another that lead to a lovely garden outside. Opening the one that leaded out, she walked slowly through the halls, admiring the clear sky and the trees that swing with the gentle breeze. For the first time in almost forever, the thought of Gaara did not cross her mind. Considering her current circumstances, it was a good thing.

She felt peaceful.

She kept walking until something caught her attention. Something, or rather someone, was moving not far ahead. She slowed down, walking until her eyes caught the clear image. A few feet from her, in an open area of the garden, someone moved with grace, swiftly and soundlessly. The spins and strikes were controlled and elegant. _Beautiful_ , she thought. Under the light of the half moon, she saw the man was incredibly handsome, almost ethereal; his eyes shut, his long dark hair flowed down freely, his bare chest… _Wow_ , she thought as she felt her face warm up. He had an amazing body, indeed.

Suddenly he stopped, his back to her. She kept staring until she heard his deep, yet gentle voice snap her out of her trance.

"How long do you plan on watching me?"

Ayo felt her face burn **,** speechless as he turned around to face her. There was no expression on him; she could not tell if he was upset or amused. He waited patiently until she provided an answer. "I… Sorry, I was just… I was…" She tried to come up with an excuse, but under his Hyuuga stare, she felt a little out of herself. She sighed in defeat. "… Just watching you." She decided to admit it, knowing there was no way he would believe anything else she said. "I'm sorry. I just woke up…" She explained as he kept watching her blankly. "I was walking and saw you, that was, huh…" She pointed at him, lamely. "That was beautiful."

She could swear she saw the faintest emotion flash through his pearl orbs, but it was so quick that she could not tell if it was her imagination or reality.

"Thank you." He replied. He stared for another second before turning and walking away.

"You're welcome…" She whispered as she watched him.

She felt… Strange.


	7. Konoha

Far away from Konoha, the crescent Moon cast her glow upon the temples of Oorun.

Pearl, milky eyes, so different from the candid Byakugan, stared at and into a crystal ball. The priestess stare was unbreakable in her state of trance, for her soul was tainted with evil that aided her schemes and actions.

Through the orb in her hands, the woman saw his figure as he walked in the night, on the empty streets of Konoha. The man was still himself in every aspect, but the fact that she could not control him completely was not important. He stood tall and believed that he was back on Earth on his own devices. He believed he had free will and that was enough for her, because that way she could manipulate him however she saw fit. She gave him an empty purpose, a false goal… He never suspected. In the end, he would think he was making his own choices and that made him a perfect pawn, her masterpiece.

"Madara Uchiha…" The sepulchral voice roared, pronouncing his name as if savoring a delicacy, drunk from the deity that fed on her life essence. "The game has begun."

* * *

Ayo stared at the shiny hitaiate in her hands. The brand new ninja band had Konoha's symbol engraved on it. She smiled softly, brushing her thumb over it before finally tying it to her thigh, the same way she used to do with her previous one.

She walked the streets of Konoha, smiling as children waved happily. She sighed, feeling her heart at ease; that was until she remembered of him. The thought of Gaara brought an instant weight into her heart. She thought about what he could be doing then; was he with his fiancée already? He probably had met the woman by then. When would they marry? Jealousy filled her heart and she bit her bottom lip, fighting to stop the tears from coming. This was becoming ridiculous. She had to snap out of it, it was over already.

The kunoichi made her lonely way to the old training ground that faced her home village from miles afar. As soon as she reached the site, nostalgia took over and she sighed. The leaves looked the same; even the Sun, already high in the sky, felt familiar. Naturally, she knew it was just a trick of feelings. The sky was not the same, as the leaves and people had changed completely.

She walked further, exploring the once known place. Her light, feline steps did not disturb as her golden orbs found the river that cut the land, slithering as a snake as it marked earth with the power of flowing water and time. By the riverbank, a man stood with his back turned at her as he faced the stream. Her face lit up with curiosity as she saw a rock being thrown, bouncing against the surface of the water.

She tried to recall a single time she had seen a grown man stone skipping. In fact, she did not remember seeing anyone doing that before.

As he prepared to throw another stone, he froze. Sudden surprise washed over him, as he noticed he failed to sense the presence approach. The chakra felt familiar and he turned around to see the person that stood a few meters away, watching him with cat's eyes.

Gold met ink black and they stared at each other for a moment. He recognized her immediately and he felt euphoria and something else he could not describe. She blinked slowly, feasting on his image as she tried to place him in her mind. He looked terribly familiar. He did not look much older than she was. Giving him a better look, it amazed her how handsome he was. He had pitch black eyes and hair that reached his chin, spiked up and messy. A thin, pale scar cut through his face, from under his left eye and down to his jaw line. He wore casual shinobi clothes, also black, but no chuunin nor jounin vests.

Upon realizing she was staring at the man, her cheeks colored and she looked away, biting her lip. _What is it with the men of Konoha, anyway?_ She thought to herself, embarrassed as she felt like a fool for the second time in less than twenty-four hours in the village.

His raven dark eyes blinked slowly and found hers and the embarrassment she felt increased exponentially as his deep voice sounded, his whole face lighting up with surprise.

"Ayo? Is that you?"

 _Right. What are the chances?_ She thought bitterly to herself.

"Huh… Hi?" She chuckled softly, moving closer, not feeling an immediate threat on him. "I'm sorry… Do we know each other?"

She watched the slightest glint of disappointment flash through his gorgeous eyes. "We met once. I do not blame you for forgetting. It was years ago, anyway." He muttered, scratching the back of his head.

The action switched on something in the back of her mind.

"Izuna?" She tried, looking at him once more. It was definitely there; the boy she once helped, long before when she spent those months learning medical ninjutsu in Konoha. "You look… Different." _Very, very good looking,_ she thought to herself.

"Really?" He grinned, crossing his arms. "You look exactly the same as I remember."

"Is that so?" Ayo chuckled, her amber orbs sparkling with the sunrays.

Madara stared at the beauty in front of him; he obviously lied. She was not the same at all. The kunoichi grew up into a goddess of beauty and he needed maximum effort not to stare. She had called him by his brother's name, the one he gave her when they met each other. That brought him a mixture of relief and regret, which he could not fully comprehend.

"It is nice to see you back in Konoha. How long will you be staying this time?"

"Well, I…" She shyly looked down at her thigh and he followed the action, registering the hitaiate that she wore. She went on. "I just moved here, actually."

His smile was by no means forged.

"These are great news. Can I treat you some lunch? It would be great to hear more about you."

Ayo thought about it. How bad could it be? It was time for her to make some friends. She wouldn't be going anywhere else, anyway.

"Of course." She nodded, smiling softly. "Why not?"

* * *

Neji sat by the garden, staring as Hinata and Hanabi sparred. His mind was far from it, though.

He kept thinking of the previous night.

That woman… He knew who she was, of course. Hinata had told him that her student from Suna was staying with them in the Hyuuga compound until she established her own place in Konoha. He wondered why she moved from Sunagakure in the first place, but as much as he was intelligent, he could not deny that, in his mind, he pictured the girl and not the woman.

The image that appeared as Hinata spoke was the one he saw years ago; somehow he didn't even consider the obvious fact that Ayo had grown up… And did she grow up. Sensing her chakra as he trained the night before was easy, but keeping a straight face as he turned around and saw her was a rather difficult task. She was so beautiful and exotic that he had to refrain from staring at her open-mouthed.

Then again, he _was_ Neji Hyuuga.

He told himself that it was simply how different she looked; it caught his attention; it was all. He had seen beautiful girls like Ino wear a lot less, though, and it did not really impress him that much. He wondered what it was about, then. Maybe it did not have to do with her clothes, but more with her appearance.

Her eyes. He closed his own as he reminded of her liquid gold orbs reflecting the moon light. Her lovely voice, stuttering. The tanned skin. He frowned softly.

He was Neji Hyuuga.

What was he thinking? Of course, the woman was gorgeous, but he sounded like a brainless moron. It just wasn't like him. He sensed her chakra closer by and looked at the gates in time to see her arrive. She was accompanied, but she said her goodbyes at the gate and the man walked the other way. Neji perked up a brow at that, wondering who the hell that person was; the guy's chakra was somewhat familiar, but he couldn't quite place it.

Neji's stare was back at the caramel skin beauty that walked to them. Hinata and Hanabi had stopped for a break and Ayo smiled at them as she greeted them. Her eyes met his and she blushed softly, earning a soft smirk from his lips.

"Neji nii-san!" Hinata spoke. "You remember Ayo-chan, right?"

Neji took his sweet time to stare at Ayo once more, from head to toe, making the voluptuous kunoichi blush madly under his stare. "Hn. She was a lot smaller before." He spoke, not mentioning their previous meeting.

Hanabi stared at the interaction, her lips twitching into a sly smile as she watched them both.

"Ayo onee-chan, control yourself. If I didn't know better, I'd think you have a crush on Neji nii-san."

"What?!" The other felt her face burn from embarrassment. "N-no! No. Not at all!"

Neji chuckled softly, crossing his arms. Hinata giggled and Hanabi flashed them a huge smirk. Ayo sighed, defeated. She knew then that she would have to prepare for endless teasing during her stay in the Hyuuga manor.

* * *

Gaara still could not get over of how terrible things were going since the news about the wedding. The meeting was a disaster, to put it nicely; after talking about cacti, which he still thought was the worst point of the damn night, he discovered almost nothing about the woman and even though she was indeed very beautiful, she wasn't really appealing to him in any way. He was very miserable at the thought of spending his life with that person and he couldn't stop thinking about Ayo. Would she have a safe trip? Would she enjoy Konoha and forget about him? She would probably meet someone else, all the male shinobi from the Leaf would sure be drooling as soon as they saw her. The thought of it made him want to crush things, which came in hand once he was attacked in the middle of dinner.

He did not seem to catch a break.

The strike was actually a big surprise. His wife to be was actually abducted by the ninja and he found himself with another problem to solve; of course, he wouldn't just let them take the woman, even though his suspicions became true later: She was part of the scheme to get herself kidnapped. She was in love with the captor.

 _What a drag_ , he thought. Maybe he was indeed being influenced by his soon to be brother in law.

After all of the drama, he decided to let the woman go and be happy with her true love. After all, it was all he wanted for himself as well. He came back to Suna without a fiancée, without Ayo, without patience. If the elders of the council dared to give him any word about it, hell would definitely break loose.

He couldn't just go to Konoha, although it was the thing he wanted most at the moment. He couldn't run after Ayo and leave his post unattended, especially considering the attacks of the opposition that were so eager to take away his Kazekage title.

Things were too troublesome and complicated. He wished everything could just be simple.

Temari had already left to Konoha, after promising to send him news about Ayo, so now it was only him and Kankurou. The thought offered him little comfort. He sat at his office, sighing in frustration as he ran a hand through his fiery red hair. He stared at the hitaiate she left behind, still folded neatly and on top of his desk.

He wished he had a picture of her to keep by.

He knew that it was reckless and probably the wrong thing to do, but still he couldn't help himself from getting up and out of his window. It did not take him long to find her house. It was already late at night and very silent in the village, no one really noticed him in the dark and if anyone did, they chose to ignore it.

He opened her window slowly and stepped inside her room. It was still organized as the last he saw it. He walked around, stopping by the bedside table. His gifts rested there, untouched. He frowned softly, feeling the familiar sting in his heart. Looking around, he found what he was looking for: a shelf with her photographs. He stared at the images. He saw her with her mother and recognized his sister and a few other shinobi among the photos. His eyes stopped on a picture of Ayo in a white dress that reached only above her knees, adorned with golden medals and jewelry, her dark, wild hair blown by the wind. She had a huge smile on her face and her hands posed in the tiger hand sing.

His hand held the frame, deciding it was the one he would take.

Before he turned to leave, though, he noticed one of the frames was facing the shelf. Curiosity took the best of him and he lifted the picture, turning it to face him. His eyes widened as he stared at himself. The image was rich in detail, exactly the way he looked. He did not know she could draw with so much expertise. He didn't know she would draw _him_ , of all people _._

He recalled Temari's words. _"She is passionate and she was in love with you. She has been since a child."_

He put the picture back as he found it, a feeling of raw regret consuming his heart.

What had he done?

If it had been Naruto in his place, surely the blonde would never have allowed himself to be dragged in such a situation.

Once back in his office, Gaara stared at Ayo in the picture he had stolen. He would fix this mess, somehow.

First, he needed to find a way to get to Konohagakure.

* * *

"Hokage-sama! You need to reconsider!"

"Temari nee-chan, I can't." Naruto sighed, scratching his head. "She asked me and I already accepted her, plus Gaara even signed her off!"

"Ayo was emotional and my brother wasn't thinking!" She frowned, hating that she had no useful argument. "Ayo is needed back in Suna, right away!"

Temari had just gotten a message from Kankurou in which he explained how sour the wedding deal went and that Gaara wasn't to be married any longer. Instead of telling Ayo first, she decided to talk to Naruto. It wasn't being too fruitful.

"I tell you what," The Hokage started, grinning. "If Ayo-chan comes to me herself and asks to be released from duty, I will let you have her. Until then, it's a big no. What is it with Gaara anyway? I did think it was weird that he let someone like that slip away."

" _Ayo-chan?_ " Temari retorted, before deciding to ignore it since Naruto was pretty much informal with everyone. "Hokage-sama, trust me when I say that Gaara wasn't in his right mind."

Shikamaru watched the whole scene quietly, not bothering to get involved.

"He wasn't, is that so?" Naruto scratched his chin, starting to put things together. "Does this have anything to do with that arranged marriage thing?"

Temari's eyes widened, giving Naruto the answer he wanted.

"I will take that as a yes." The seventh Hokage nodded, his index finger tapping his face. "So you say that Ayo-chan was _emotional_ and that Gaara wasn't in his right mind… And it had to do with the wedding…" Shikamaru could actually hear the wheels spinning inside the infamous blonde's mind. "It must mean that Gaara has a crush on Ayo-chan and she likes him too. That would explain her strange request… She was mad because he was getting married!"

Shikamaru stared wide-eyed and Temari gasped in shock.

 _Wow_ , Shikamaru thought to himself. _Finally, Naruto got one right._

Temari chuckled nervously. "Hokage, please do not speak of this to…"

"Well, if you want me to act like I don't know, I can do that." The seventh grinned boyishly, crossing his arms. "But I will not get involved in it, either. Gaara needs to man up and come get the girl himself, otherwise she will never truly forgive him." He reasoned.

Temari and Shikamaru stared at Naruto in shock, knowing that what he said was wise.

"When did you get so smart?" Shikamaru muttered, amused.

Temari sighed. "Alright… You do have a point…"

"So it's settled. I need to hurry and put her in some missions, before she's snatched away." Naruto smirked, sitting lazily on his chair.

Temari nodded, sighing again.

 _What a drag!_

* * *

He walked at night, the wind blowing the leaves that brushed past him. He didn't remember how long it was since he was last in Konoha. The place brought a lot of memories, some bad and some good. Some even funny.

Gaara stared at the faces set on stone, above him. He wondered where he would find her.

Closing his eyes for a moment, he concentrated in searching for the familiar chakra that belonged with him, back in Suna. It didn't take him long to feel her. She wasn't moving, which made it easier for him to track. He found himself on her windowsill, watching as she moved slowly on bed, breathing steadily as she slept. He didn't realize it was already that late.

He knew the best option was for him to retreat and wait until the morning before approaching her, but his heart seemed to disagree. Reluctantly, his hand reached out to open the window. A second later and he was already inside her room, his teal eyes staring at her sleeping form. He thought he was probably looking terribly creepy as he watched her sleep, but he pushed the thought away and walked closer to the bed, his fingers brushing a curl of her hair away from her face.

His eyes widened as she frowned, moving just the slightest. She did not wake up, though, only turning on the mattress, the motion causing the sheets over her to shift and reveal a good portion of her bare body.

He felt his face burn and his blood boiled. It seemed like he was always finding her in a naked state.

Looking down at himself, helplessly, he decided it would really be best to just go away and meet her in a few hours. He turned to leave, but stopped on his tracks at the sound of her voice.

"Gaara…"

Although a whisper, it was his name without a doubt. He turned quickly to face her, but she was still fast asleep. He started at her with curiosity, wondering what that was about. She had just called him. Could it be that she was…

He blinked a couple of times, his heart racing.

She was dreaming of him.

The irresistible urge to stay took over, feeding the also unyielding desire to touch her. He sat on her bed softly, staring at her as he ran his fingers on her face, caressing her cheek gently. A small smile was her reaction and he felt the butterflies go wild in his stomach. The sheets tangled around her, snaking between her legs as she hugged them. _This is wrong,_ he thought as he moved his hand to brush her thigh, his fingertips running a trail until he reached her knee.

"Hmm…" She moaned softly, moving again. One of her dark candy nipples escaped the prison of fabrics and he gulped, his hands itching to grasp it. Why was it that he couldn't resist her breasts? He felt he was a perverted freak, but it wasn't enough to stop his next move. His thumb brushed the brown lump of skin gently and he watched, as it got hard from his touch, hearing the soft gasp that escaped her luscious lips.

"Gaara…" She moaned his name again and her hand grasped his shirt, pulling him to her with an inexplicable force. His eyes widened in shock as he was pulled on top of her, the scent of exotic flowers and spices numbing his mind as he watched her open her eyes slowly, still half-asleep, staring at him. He braced himself for whatever reaction she would have, but she only blinked slowly, her arms making their way around his neck, pulling him closer as her legs crossed around his body, pressing him further against herself.

He felt his heart pound madly against his chest, his pants painfully tight as their bodies touched. Her eyes closed again as she rocked her hips against his slowly, panting as she did so. He groaned, closing his own teal orbs at the lustful feeling that seemed to soak every cell on his body. His hand moved, undoing the buttons of his clothes. Her eyes were half-open again, watching sleepily as he did so, her palms spreading on his chest as he pulled his shirt away. She purred with content, scratching his skin with her sharp nails. He hissed with the action, the raw pleasure enticing him to no end.

He reached out for his pants, pausing to watch her reaction to it. She nodded slowly, biting her bottom lip as she waited for him to go on. He took the rest of his clothes away, letting them fall soundlessly on her floor, making his way back to her. Her lips sought his in a long, sloppy kiss as her arms hugged his neck once more, repeating the same move from before, her legs closing around him. He gasped loudly and closed his eyes, moaning at the feeling of her wetness against him.

"Gaara…"

"Gaara…"

"Gaara?!"

His greenish eyes opened and he stared at the ceiling, his heart beating a thousand miles per second. Sitting up, he found himself back in Suna, alone in his own bed, staring at a hard on and groaning miserably as someone called him from his door, whom he suspected was his brother.

 _Oh, come on!_ Gaara thought, letting himself fall back on bed and pulling a pillow against his face, sighing in frustration. _A dream…_ _Again?!_

* * *

A basket of fruits rested between them as they sat together on a clearing, enjoying the quiet afternoon. The warm weather was still fresh when compared to Suna's. As they kept each other company, varied topics were discussed; even tales and old stories were told… Mostly by her, as she told him about her life. He merely talked about shinobi tactics and skills, which left her wondering about the mystery that he was.

"Yes, of course I've heard about it." Ayo rolled her eyes, cutting a slice of the apple on her hands and pushing the bit of fruit inside her mouth, closing her eyes in contempt as she felt the sweet taste of its juice.

Madara stared at the kunoichi, doing a double take as he tried to remember what he had just said a second before. He fought the urge to frown upon his own reaction to her eating a simple fruit. _This is not part of my plans,_ he thought.

"I thought so, but I felt I should ask anyway." He continued, looking down at his hands where another apple rested, a gift she brought for him. "You master the types of nature that are necessary for it. Why don't you try and grasp it?"

" _Kekkei Touta_ is extremely complicated, Izuna. It is at Kage's level and it's usually inherited… Chances are I will never be able to do it, although I do want to master it and I've tried before." She shrugged. "There is no need for rushing, anyway. It's not like we are at _war_ or anything."

Black eyes flashed red for a split second as she stared at her fruit, cutting another slice. She never noticed it.

"Well, I think you should. We can never know what the future brings."

She stopped and looked into his dark orbs, thinking over his words. "I guess you're right… I never gave it much attention before, since I figured it was a dead end." She muttered, biting the slice that was still stuck on her knife, forcing his stare down at her lips once more.

 _Damned woman._ He thought to himself, feeling the faintest blush spread across his cheeks.

Madara had kept his original looks as he decided on how to appear before her, as a _grown up_. He looked younger, obviously, but other than that, he only changed two things: The length of his hair that was now short, much like Izuna's, and a large scar on his left cheek, reaching right above his eye. As he figured, no one in Konoha seemed to notice anything. Not even one person noticed his real identity.

 _Idiots._ He thought to himself.

"It is not a dead end. I will help you practice." He muttered, staring at the red fruit in his hands.

She smiled at him and nodded. "I suppose I can give it another try."

* * *

Hinata was walking down the streets with Neji, Hanabi and Ayo by her side. She had wanted to give the foreign kunoichi a tour, since things had changed a lot since the last time she was in Konoha. It proved to be a fun afternoon. Hinata loved to spend time with her sister and cousin and missed Ayo. She wasn't a child anymore, though. As they talked the night before, Ayo told her everything that happened and the reason why she decided to leave Sunagakure. Hinata could understand her; after all, she knew how it felt to love someone that was out of her reach. However, things had turned out in her favor in the end and for that reason Hinata did not fully know what the other girl was going through. She could only try to be there for the younger, helping in any way she could.

Neji walked with them without a sound, carrying the bags with the things they bought. Hanabi and Ayo were laughing as they talked about something random when they heard a faint noise and a child broke down, crying. Ayo stopped, staring at the source of it and seeing a small kid that had fallen and bruised his knee. Smiling gently, she knelt in front of him and brought her palm to the cut, a soft glow healing it instantly.

Neji watched silently as Ayo pulled a lollipop out of her bag and gave it to the small boy, who smiled brightly in return, waving as they walked away. He stared at her from the corner of his eyes with a small smile of his own.

He tried to ignore the captivating character that she was with every little thing his perceptive eyes caught her doing, even without meaning to. Ayo was exotic, kind, skilled. He kept adding qualities to the list and he had only been around her for a few days.

It honestly alarmed him in a strange, unknown way.

Back in the Hyuuga compound, Neji sat by the garden, watching as the first stars began to appear. Ayo was walking down the halls when she saw him. It was a common occurrence; she would be walking to her room and find him at the garden, meditating or training. She smiled softly as their eyes met. He nodded, his eyes looking away from her, blankly staring back at the sky. To his surprise, he felt her sitting next to him. She did not ask, not announce. She simply did as she felt like.

He didn't look her at her, but she broke the silence anyway. "I heard about the branch house mark…"

His head turned to her, then. His look was surprised and lightly offended. He did not mind the mark anymore; after Hinata took charge as heir and head of the clan, the branch house members that were born no longer carried the curse. Nonetheless, it was rather rude of her part to speak bluntly like that. He wondered what she wanted, starting a conversation that way.

When he said nothing, she continued. "Can I see it?"

He frowned. She couldn't be that dense. He decided he found the first flaw on her, after all. "No." He simply replied, standing up and walking away, not being able to hide the utter annoyance in his voice.

Ayo frowned too. He was pissed at her; she figured, a little too late, that it was a sensitive subject. She should have known, but she really didn't think that he would have cared that much. She didn't know enough about him or his family. She could have apologized, but her instincts told her otherwise. She quickly stood up as well and moved to step in front of him, reaching out. His eyes followed the movement, but he did not move an inch, not believing she would dare touching him.

She did, though.

He blinked in disbelief as her hands brushed his hitaiate. Taking a graceful step back to avoid her touch, his eyes widened in shock from the unexpected launch of her body at his. His feet moved to avoid the contact once more, but she anticipated it and caught him out of guard. All they managed to accomplish was falling soundly on the floor.

Ayo didn't let it stop her and crawled to him, her hands quick on their aim to pull the band away from his forehead, her thighs pressed firmly on his sides as she straddled him to keep him from escaping.

Neji growled, angry, as he felt the branch mark exposed to the prying lioness' eyes. He cursed himself for letting his guard down and stared at her, enraged, ready to push her away from him. However, his anger was replaced with incredulity as she leaned down and pressed her soft lips to the mark on his skin, kissing it gently.

He closed his eyes instantly, the way one would do when about to experience something painful; instead, a warm feeling spread inside his chest. He opened his pearl eyes to stare at her and she blinked a couple of times, looking like she was also stunned by her own actions. She blushed, still on top of him, as she finally noticed the position they were in.

"I'm sorry for asking such an insensitive question…" She muttered slowly, the faint blush darkening on her cheeks. "I never meant to offend. I was just… Curious."

She got up and off him. He did not move, frozen on spot as if he was afraid that his heart would escape if he got up. He listened her quiet, rushed footsteps fade away and closed his eyes once more, confused with how she made him feel.

 _What the hell did just happen?_


	8. L-Rank Mission

After the incident with Neji, Ayo cut her wandering down the halls to a minimum. Days had passed and she was still mortified from acting in such a strange, disrespectful way with him. She had seen the fury in his eyes and decided she did not want to stay behind to hear whatever he had to say that day. She still didn't want to face him at all. He was intimidating. Extremely handsome. The thought itself made her skin tingle. Why did she feel that way about him? Did she have a crush on the Hyuuga prodigy? And what about Gaara? She bit her bottom lip, looking down in sorrow, all thoughts of Neji vanishing for a moment; the sadness she felt at the thought of the Kazekage was hard to get over.

She pushed those thoughts away and got ready for her meeting. She was supposed to see the Hokage. Naruto had a mission for her, it seemed. As she rushed out, she saw someone training on the gardens, but she felt slightly disappointed when she saw it was Hanabi. She missed Neji for some strange reason, even though she had been the one avoiding him for the past days.

Once she got in the Hokage's office, she bowed respectfully and greeted him.

"Hokage-sama. You asked for me."

"Ah, yeah, yeah..." Naruto stared at her, a large blush tinting his cheeks as he scratched the back of his head in an awkward fashion. "Close the door after you, will ya?"

Ayo perked a brow in confusion, but did as he said. When she turned, she waited patiently for him to state the mission. He stared at his hands, nervously.

 _What was that about?_

"Hokage-sama?" Ayo tried once more, amused. He looked at her, bouncing on his feet like a child.

"Ayo-chan, I have a mission for you. It's not a usual mission, but you have to help me."

Ayo frowned, tilting her head to the side as she stared at him, a comic expression on her face. "Alright… What is it?"

"Well…" He blushed harder. "You're a girl."

She fought the urge to snort at him. _Thanks for stating the obvious, Hokage-sama,_ she thought. "Yes, I am… And?"

"And, well…" He gestured with both hands, as if his words were clear enough to state what he was requesting. Ayo felt herself blush; no way had he meant what she thought he meant. Luckily, she was wrong. "You know, Ayo-chan! You know what girls like. I need help here!"

Ayo blinked a couple of times, finally grasping what he wanted. "Ah! You want to do something for Hinata nee-chan… Is that right?"

Naruto sighed in relief. "Yes! But… Well…" The blush spread on his face and neck, turning the blonde beet red, and he tugged into the collar of his Hokage robes. "It's not just… S _omething…_ "

Ayo's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh my…! Do you mean… Will you ask her to…?"

"Sssh!" Naruto pleaded, his index finger against his lips as if to beg her to shut up. "No one knows yet! I didn't want to ask Sakura-chan nor Ino-chan, since they are friends with Hina and would probably just spill the secret. You have to help me. I know it's not an S-rank mission or anything..." He started to apologize, but Ayo cut him in, smiling brightly, both hands folded above her heart, a dreamy look on her face.

"Of course I'll do it! It is an L-rank mission! L for love!" She giggled, poking the Hokage on his ribs, causing him to blush an even darker shade of red.

Naruto sighed. "Thank you! I'm relieved. I don't want to screw this up, you know."

"Don't worry, Hokage-sama. It will be perfect!"

* * *

Ayo was on cloud nine.

She had so many ideas to help Naruto and she wanted it to be perfect for her lovely shishou, who most definitely deserved all the best. She was so happy that the Hokage was finally going to propose! She sighed dreamily. If only she had such luck… Of course, Hinata was very patient and waited for a long time to have her feelings recognized. When it happened, though, she won the lottery, for Naruto did not have eyes for anyone else but her. In Ayo's case, though… The younger kunoichi sighed, pushing the intruding thoughts away before they could set camp in her mind.

It was no use though, since fate decided she would have to deal with them anyway.

Looking up, Ayo stopped dead on her tracks as she spotted the familiar teal eyes that stared at her. "Temari nee-chan!" She exclaimed, surprised. Her former sensei did not seem so pleased to see her, though.

"Ayo. We should have a word."

The younger sighed, nodding slowly and following the blonde to a small restaurant nearby. Once they got a secluded table and sat, Temari hissed in annoyance. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

Ayo gasped at the tone, but composed herself quickly and crossed her arms stubbornly. "What are you talking about, sensei?"

"How could you leave Suna like that? And turning your hitaiate away? Quitting on being a ninja?! Moving to Konoha?!"

"Temari nee. I never quit being a ninja. For that part, I will admit I was just angry… It was the heat of the moment and I wasn't thinking through. Once I got here, though, I asked the Hokage to be instated as a Konoha shinobi." Her voice was suddenly colder. "The Kazekage didn't seem to have a problem with…"

"Oh, what do you know?!" Temari interrupted her words, angrily. That made Ayo's eyes widen with surprise. "Gaara did what he had to do. What do you think he would have done? Refused to sign that ridiculous document and declared you a rogue ninja? Tried to make you stay against your will? Locked you up in a freaking dungeon? Is that what you think he would have done?"

Ayo opened her lips, but no words came. She tried desperately to come up with something smart to say, but words went nil. Temari sighed and continued. "Ayo, I know you are hurt and rightfully so, but my brother… He cares for you. I can't say how much, for that is something only you both can know. All I can tell is that he does and you must know: This marriage circus wasn't his idea." Ayo's eyes snapped into Temari's, as she heard the new information. "The council schemed it. There was no way of escaping it."

Ayo blinked slowly, watching as the waiter placed their drinks on the table and left. Her eyes scanned the glass of iced tea in front of her, as if it was the most fascinating thing on Earth; the condensed drops rolled down and touched the surface of the table, soaking the napkin under it.

"Why didn't he tell me himself?" She muttered, her dull stare still on the glass.

Temari was about to reply, but Ayo wasn't finished. "Why didn't he fight the decision? He is the Kazekage, after all. Isn't this the generation of _change_?" Her golden eyes met Temari's and she offered her sensei a soft smile. "Most importantly, why didn't he stop me? If he _cares,_ why didn't he try to keep me? When I walked away, why didn't he say anything? Where is he, really, Temari?" She finished with a weak voice, chuckling without emotion. "The answer to all these questions is quite simple."

Temari was speechless. Ayo's voice was filled with sorrow and despair.

"He simply didn't care _enough_." She muttered, smiling gently. The smile was empty and fake, though.

"Ayo… The marriage is off." Temari spoke, not really knowing what else to say. Ayo's eyes lit up for a second, but finally she nodded slowly.

"I see… So what?" The younger retorted, taking the glass and sipping from it, feeling the bittersweet taste. "Is that why you decided to talk to me now?"

"Don't be stupid!" Temari scolded. "Your pride will get you nowhere. Not you, nor Gaara." She pleaded. "Go back to Suna. He needs you."

"We both know that is not true, sensei." She drank her tea calmly. Inside, her feelings were twirling madly. "If he did, I would have heard from him already. Even if it was a simple letter, a message, a tiny scroll, anything." She paused, her heart wanting to take the best of her. She wanted to run back to Suna, but her pride kept her from it. "He didn't miss me enough. I never made enough impact on his life and he is alright, he's moving on." She fought the burning feeling in her throat; Ayo would not allow herself to cry, not in front of Temari. "I am under no obligation to return to Suna. I am working for an allied nation now, with permission. I'm not doing anything wrong."

Temari sighed, frustrated. "There is no convincing you, is it?"

Ayo smiled gently. "I'm sorry, sensei. Will that be all?"

Temari nodded in defeat.

 _What a drag!_

* * *

As soon as her feet reached the Hyuuga compound, Ayo felt the hot tears stream down her cheeks. Neji was greeting Hiashi upon just returning from a mission. Both frowned as the guest passed slowly by them, bowing softly as a greeting before walking in a hurry to her own chambers.

Neji watched her, intrigued. Observant as always, he noticed the tears in her eyes.

Excusing himself as quickly as he could without looking too suspicious, he walked towards her room. It had been a few days since he last saw her, the day she had seen the mark on his forehead and kissed it. He still felt odd when he thought about it, her soft lips and the warmth they spread to his heart. He wasn't really sure why he was doing this. She was clearly avoiding him and he decided to let her be; also, he was called in a mission shortly after. Now he was back and the first thing he spotted was that she was crying. He should, but could not ignore it for some reason; one only added up to the mystery that Ayo of Suna was, to him **.**

As he stopped by her closed door, he heard the helpless sobbing inside the room. He felt a pang on his heart. He wanted to soothe her; protect her from whatever was hurting her so bad. Crying women usually annoyed him, but when it came to Ayo… He had to help. He had no clue could not even begin to understand why.

Ignoring all common sense and going against his own way of behavior, he opened her door slowly to find her sitting on the opposite corner of the room, hugging her legs and hiding her face, a curtain of long, wavy hair hiding her exotic features. The view broke his heart a little. Closing the door behind him, he walked closer and knelt in front of her, a hand touching her shoulder softly. She looked up, her eyes flashing with shock and surprise. He brushed his thumb on her shoulder, smiling gently, as if to say it would be all right, no matter what was happening.

Her eyes were smeared black from the dark make up she wore daily. He noticed, from this close, that it was the only make up she applied. Only her eyes were painted, the rest of her skin remained untouched and it looked perfectly smooth, even with the tearstains. It was flawless.

Slowly, Ayo leaned against his shoulder, one hand gripping his robes as she sobbed. He let her, sitting by her and putting an arm around her as she cried her heart out. It felt strange as he held her. It felt right, natural, as if it was something that he was born to do.

He lost track of how much time they spent that way. Her sobbing turned into quiet tears, before she found herself almost dozing off. He picked her up in his arms and she held his neck for support as he carried her to her bed, laying her down gently. When he was about to move away, he felt the pull of her hands on his shirt. He looked at her questioning and she blushed gently.

"Thank you… Neji-senpai." She whispered, planting a soft kiss on his cheek before letting go, closing her eyes and hugging her pillow, letting herself fall into slumber.

He watched her for a moment before turning around and walking out, closing the door and wondering about the feeling inside his chest. His hand touched his cheek where she kissed him. His clothes smelled like salty tears, flowers and spices.

He sighed.

He was setting up for trouble, he could feel it.

* * *

No matter how hard he tried, Gaara could not seem to find a window of time to leave Suna. Months had already passed since Ayo left and the marriage plans crashed into pieces. Although he was very grateful for the latter, he still had to get her back. He knew there was no way she would come if he didn't go meet her; Temari had tried to convince her and told him that it was no use. He decided that he would go there himself and make her see what he truly felt. That way, he was sure she would come back with him.

It was easier said than done, though. The council had dropped the marriage issue, but the office was busier than ever. Everyone wanted something from him and many people wanted to see him give up his title, dead or alive. It was very unsettling and complicated. He felt trapped in Suna, for the first time in years, and even considered passing the title to his brother as many people wanted to. Kankurou refused, naturally, and snapped at him for succumbing to the opposition's wishes so easily.

 _"_ _You are the Kazekage and the best we ever had, if I may point out. Stop being so lame. They will have to suck it up."_ He had said.

Of course, he had a point. Under Gaara's watch, Sunagakure had never been so prosperous. The people were safe, happier and healthier. The shinobi forces were stronger. The conflicts were zipped to a minimum, the nations were now allies and everyone knew he had played a big part on it, too. Eventually, the opposition would have to stand down.

The problem was that they were taking _forever_. He needed to go to Konohagakure. As fast as possible.

* * *

After the crying incident, Ayo and Neji had gotten closer. She never told him the reason why she was crying that night and he never asked. Instead, he met her the day after and asked if she would like to have some tea and meditate. It was a strange thing to ask a girl, but she did not mind it. She felt at ease with him and having him around made her feel strangely safe.

They started to hang out often, sometimes more than once a day. She found the practice soothing and it helped her a lot, it calmed her nerves and eased the pain in her heart. She used to do it before, but it was different when she was with him. Whenever she or he went on missions, she would miss him dearly and once they returned, she would have to refrain from running into his arms. It was a strange feeling; she did not feel attracted to him as she felt for Gaara. Neji was incredibly handsome and well built, but the moments they shared were not dictated by desire nor lust. She mostly felt peaceful and happy around him. She felt a strange need, an addition that build inside her. She had to have her dose of him every day; otherwise, she started to suffer from the withdrawal.

They sat on the porch of the main house, sipping tea as they watched Hinata and Hanabi spar. It was a lovely day and the birds were bold, coming close enough to steal a few of cookie crumbles. After Ayo started her training with the Seventh Hokage, all kinds of animals seemed to feel comfortable enough to approach her. Even the legendary Nara deers once came to her, as she trained by the clearings close to the Shikamaru clan's property. Ayo chuckled happily, as she watched the animals, her fingers mashing one of the remaining cookies and offering the crumbs to them. Neji watched amused as a couple of birds reached her palm, eating contently from her hand.

His pearl eyes stared at her for a moment. Her smile was radiant, beautiful and he was glad she did not seem to be crying anymore the past days. He enjoyed the sound of her laughter. It lit up her eyes and face, her chakra flowed brighter and stronger.

He blinked as he noticed she was staring at him with a curious face.

"Neji-senpai, why are you using your Byakugan on me?" She asked innocently, tilting her head to the side.

Hanabi heard it and wasted no time, not even missing a move as she sparred and speaking loud enough for them to hear. "It's his x-ray vision, Ayo-chan! Be careful!"

It took only a second for Ayo's cheeks to flush bright red. Neji grunted, closing his eyes quickly. He did not realize he had activated the Byakugan while staring at her. He wasn't being a _pervert,_ though.

Staring back at her, he noticed she still were blushing and rolled his eyes, getting up. "Come on. Let me show you something." He spoke, holding out his hand at her.

That caused three pair of eyes to stare at him in disbelief. Even Hanabi and Hinata actually paused to look his way in shock. Ayo's eyes widened and she blushed even harder. He hissed. "Not like _that_!" He pulled her hand, taking her to the middle of the garden.

Ayo stared as he got in position and his eyes suddenly changed back into activated Byakugan. With a swift spin, he moved, allowing all his points of chakra flow to release the current that engulfed his body in bright a sphere of blue light.

Hanabi chuckled. "Show off."

Once he stopped, Ayo stared in awe. She had heard of Hakkeshou Kaiten before, but even during her training with Hinata she had never seen it before. It was beautiful.

"Alright." Neji said, a playful hint on his voice. "Now you try it."

Ayo stared at him for a minute, before laughing. "You're kidding, right?"

He perked a brow, giving her a serious look. "Does it look like I'm kidding?"

"You're setting me up for failure, already." Ayo crossed her arms, smiling. "I'm not a Hyuuga. Clearly I can't do something like this."

"Well, no one ever tried before." He reasoned although he knew, as much as the other two Hyuuga that watched in curiosity, that Ayo was right. She would not be able to do it, but then again the challenge would keep her mind busy and hopefully she wouldn't be thinking much about the reason that made her sad… Whatever or whoever it was.

"Hyuuga Neji, if you're mocking me I will shave that pretty hair of yours." Ayo threatened as she struck the pose, trying to recall what he had done before.

He chuckled sofly. "No _senpai_ anymore? Am I in trouble?" He teased, talking closer as he fixed her position gently, moving her hands and shoulders until they were in the correct angles. Hinata raised a brow at the interaction and stole a glance from Hanabi, who grinned wickedly, nodding at her older sister.

 _Interesting,_ the Hyuuga hime thought, a smile gracing her lips.

* * *

Hinata sat by the gardens of the Hyuuga main house, a huge smile on her face as she stared at the red rose Naruto had given her, a couple of hours before when he had walked her there. She hoped they could spend more time together, but he had to stay all night in the office. Being a Hokage had its benefits, but also took him a lot of time. She did not mind, though. She was grateful for the moments she shared with him and for all the attention he gave her.

"Meow…"

Hinata looked ahead to see a small, chubby cat just a few feet away, licking its paw. It was orange with stripes and she giggled, founding it adorable. The cat stopped and started to play with something, jumping and tapping as it trying to grasp it with its claws. Hina watched amused, but her attention was caught as she saw a flash of light from whatever the feline was toying with. She got up, unable to hide her curiosity, walking to see what it was.

The cat purred as she knelt down and tangled itself between her legs. She smiled kindly, petting it, and looked at the shiny object. It was a small glass, round and shaped as an almond. She frowned confused, picking it up and noticing it was attached to a string.

Chuckling, she started to follow the cotton thread as she walked deeper inside the garden. As she reached a small clearing close to a Japanese fountain, she heard a faint rush of wind and looked up in awe. A thousand lights flickered as the candles lit up at once.

"That is an amazing jutsu…" Neji whispered as he, Ayo and Hanabi watched hidden on the trees. Ayo had just used her Fire nature type and weaved hand signs in clue, making the small flames come to life. "… Who would know that you could light so many candles at once? That's very useful."

"Shush, Neji-senpai." Ayo whispered back, rolling her golden eyes. He smirked and Hanabi grinned slyly, quietly moving to a farther spot and leaving them alone without either noticing.

Hinata gasped, looking around and at someone as she felt a gentle tug on the thread she was holding; Naruto stood only a few feet away, a soft smile on his face as he pulled the string softly. Hinata smiled and walked to him, stopping as the thread run short and their hands touched. She looked from their hands and up into his blue eyes, feeling her cheeks blush, but smiling brighter nonetheless.

Back in their hiding place, Neji noticed that Hanabi went missing and was suddenly very aware of the kunoichi beside him. The moment was all too romantic and Ayo seemed to feel the same as she looked at his eyes, a faint blush touching her skin as she looked back to the couple near them.

Naruto stroked his girlfriend's soft hands and took a deep breath, smiling. "Hinata-chan…" He paused, pulling a bit of the thread that she could now see it was red. "You are the one who loved me from the beginning, who saw me from who I am since the start." His calloused hand reached out and touched her cheek, brushing her skin lovingly. "With all my flaws and my big mouth, with my lack of manners and troublesome attitude, still you loved me and never gave up on me. You could have been with anyone you wanted, but you wanted me and you saved me with your small gestures and also with the big ones. I can never thank you enough… And now I know for sure that I can never survive without you." He took her hand and pressed his lips on her fingers, smiling. His face was flushed with emotion and his eyes sparkled when he looked at her.

Ayo felt a bit of jealousy, but the good kind. She just hoped someday she would have something like that.

Naruto continued. "That is why…" Slowly he came down on his knees and Hinata gasped as she saw the gorgeous ring before her, her free hand covering her mouth as her eyes instantly filled with tears. "… Hyuuga Hinata… Will you marry me?"

The Hyuuga hime smiled brightly as the tears streamed down her beautiful face.

"Naruto-kun… Yes…! Yes, I will!" She felt her body shake with happiness and from happy crying. Naruto smiled brightly too, his face lit up as he took the ring and placed it gently on her finger.

Hinata jumped to hug him tight. Naruto kissed her softly and Ayo sighed at the scene, feeling her own eyes fill up with unshed tears. She wanted to cheer up for them, but before she could make any further noise, she felt a strong hand covering her mouth. She instinctively tried to push away, almost falling. Neji pulled her body to his in response, preventing her from announcing their presence.

Ayo face burnt, as she looked up into pearl orbs, so close she could see freckles of silver in them. He looked back in her golden pools and felt himself leaning into her.

Before anything else could happen, though, they heard a cheerful voice call out. "Come on out guys, we know you are out there." Naruto grinned as he had just won lottery. Hinata was staring at her ring with dreams in her eyes, their hands still held together. Ayo chuckled softly, as Neji came out of his trance and released her. Both of them jumped off the tree, smiling at the couple that were soon to be married.

Hanabi joined them and grinned as she poked Neji's side, whispering so only he could hear.

"Maybe next time, Neji nii-san." She winked playfully.

He blushed, looking away in embarrassment. _Damn._


	9. Disclosed

A few weeks passed after Naruto proposed to Hinata. The wedding was already scheduled; they seemed to be in a hurry and after getting Hiashi's approval, Naruto and Hinata made sure to pick a close date. Everything was happening fast and between missions, Ayo would be helping her shishou with the wedding plans. Hanabi and the other girls were also involved; even Temari seemed to be participating at some level. All females seemed to be thrilled with the coming of such a huge event.

Ayo was satisfied with the busy days. She barely had time to think about Gaara, which she was grateful for, since it meant less crying and less feeling sorry for herself. The fact that the redhead leader still wandered freely through her mind, showed uninvited in her most vivid dreams and that she caught herself thinking about him constantly was impossible to deny. The Kazekage was the love of her life; her heart was in a noose and it was his to play with.

On the other hand, she also didn't have time to spend with Neji and that made her a little frustrated. She couldn't even meditate properly without him around, but made sure to train the Kaiten whenever she had spare time in her missions. She knew it wasn't something she could ever master, being inherited by the Hyuuga clan. Still, she did it for it made her feel closer to him, somehow. She missed his presence terribly, like a drunk miss his liquor. Whenever she was back in Konoha, he wasn't and as soon as she returned, he would be out in a mission of his own. It was almost as if the Hokage was _purposely_ keeping them apart, which she was sure it could not be the case. It wasn't like he even _knew_ she and Neji were close, right?

Temari had stopped by to talk to her, one night. She was about to depart to Suna and urged Ayo to come with her, which did not happen. Ayo refused promptly and asked Temari not to insist on those matters anymore. She didn't want to be harsh to her former sensei, but as she imagined, Temari was an overprotective sister and would do anything to see Gaara happy, which didn't exactly match the proud ways of the lioness. She couldn't go back to Suna. She wouldn't. Not after months without a single word from the Kazekage, whose lips still haunted her reveries quite often. She felt like Gaara didn't care. She couldn't be the one to go and ask him, right? If he loved her indeed, why couldn't he make a move?

She greeted a few Hyuuga clan members as she walked in the compound. They all smiled at her, welcoming. Ayo was the kind of person everyone seemed to be drawn to, one way or another. It was easy for her to make friends and everyone admired her for something, her looks, her intelligence and skills, her kindness or fiery spirit, even for her courage and sarcasm. With that, even the Hyuuga clan was held captive by her charms and everyone, including the elders, seemed to have taken a liking to her. She had already talked to Hiashi about renting herself an apartment, but he and Hinata made a point to keep her around.

The only person that seemed to truly dislike her was one boy. Yes, a _boy_ ; Ayo wouldn't go as far as to call him a _man._ The hostility was mutual. She frowned as she walked into the garden and made her way to Hinata, noticing _that_ _boy_ was there. He looked up at her and growled, making a face himself.

"Ah. It's _you_." He barked as Ayo stopped as far as she could from him, glaring daggers his way.

"Had I known I'd have the displeasure, I'd have come later." The kunoichi snapped back, crossing her arms.

Hinata chuckled nervously. "Please don't fight…" She pleaded at the two. Another pair of eyes watched the scene amused, behind dark sunglasses.

Ayo smiled at Hinata and decided to ignore said _boy_ , turning to the other one and smiling too. "Shino-san, it's good to see you."

Shino nodded and Ayo already knew that was his way of greeting and even a warm one, so she chuckled in response. The other barked a mocking laugh. She heard it and turned his way, narrowing her eyes at him.

"What, she is gonna pretend I'm not here? That is so polite!" He sarcastically complained to Hinata.

Ayo rolled her eyes. "Comes from the one who acts like a dog 24/7."

Akamaru barked. Kiba got up, balling his fists. "Who said it's a bad thing to act like a dog?"

Ayo got right on his face. "No one. I love dogs. The bad thing is acting like _you_."

Akamaru cried, wiggling his tail at her. Kiba stared at his childhood pet and best friend with eyes that glowed with betrayal; even Akamaru seemed to like Ayo. He growled once more. "You… You want a fight? I'll give you a fight."

Ayo shook her head, a smirk on her face. "Me? Darling, a fight with you is child play. Plus, Hina-chan just asked us not to."

"Child play, huh? Why don't we take this outside, then?" Kiba hissed.

Ayo glared. "It's on."

Hinata stepped between then. "Stop, you two!" She exclaimed and both stopped to look at her in awe. It was rare to see Hinata lose her cool. "My wedding is coming and I don't want to be in the same room as you two, worrying you might end up killing each other when I'm not looking!"

Ayo pouted and Kiba crossed his arms unwillingly, but they did stop… For then.

Hinata sighed. Shino grinned and spoke, loud enough for everyone to hear. "Like cats and dogs, hn?"

* * *

Temari and Kankurou walked out of Gaara's office and he was left with a lot to think about.

Naruto was getting married. He smiled at the thought of his old friend, even though he had to admit he was still a little angry about the whole transferring thing with Ayo. He was happy for the Hokage. Naruto deserved to be happy.

He gave the invite a second look. As his brother had pointed out, they would be leaving the next day. Gaara felt beyond nervous. It had been months since he last saw Ayo and thinking of her hurt. He closed his teal eyes, sighing. He could still feel her scent, taste her lips. His eyelids opened slowly and stared at the picture on his desk. The image of her smiled at him. He felt his heart race.

She would be there.

He would see her again. The thought was exhilarating and frightening at the same time. Seeing her meant so much more than words could express. That was his main problem; he never knew what to say to her, he kept himself silent for so long. He would see her and he had to tell her. He had to let her know what he felt, how much he felt, but… _How_? He wondered how Naruto figured out. Gaara knew he was in love with Ayo; he just had no idea of how to tell her. Having her so close was the best thing he had ever felt in his life. Losing her, watching her leave, not seeing her for months… That had felt like hell.

He sighed, suddenly feeling too nervous. What if she didn't want to see him? What if she didn't love him anymore? He ran a hand through his hair. Did it need cutting? Would she like it? He felt stupid. He sighed, defeated, deciding to ask Temari for help, although he knew his sister already had plans to _doll him up._ He did not know if he should be grateful or horrified.

All he knew is that he would be seeing her and he had no idea what would happen then.

* * *

Neji had finally come back from a long mission. After talking to Hiashi, as he would usually do, he made his way to his room, packing out his things and heading for a shower.

As he got out of the bathroom, he heard faint laughter from the garden. He could recognize the voices: Hinata-sama, Hanabi and Ayo. He smiled softly. He felt happy she was home, too. He realized with surprise that he considered her part of the Hyuuga compound; he considered Ayo part of his own home.

He was half-dressed by the time he heard the voice of Hiashi joining the girls outside and he could not help himself but being curious. Picking a regular white T-shirt and putting it on before opening his door to the garden, he walked slowly towards the group that seemed to be training in the clearing. He couldn't hide the bewilderment as his eyes captured the scene: Hinata and Hanabi giggled as they watched their father showing Ayo the posture for Kaiten. Hiashi had a smile on his usual stoic face and nodded as he watched Ayo mimic his pose. The caramel skinned beauty nodded back and counted from one to three before moving in sync with the older Hyuuga, spinning in amazing speed. The other girls clapped happily as a result and as Hiashi stopped gracefully, so did Ayo. Her feet moved with elegance and precision, stopping as she did, completely balanced. Obviously, there was no chakra release as a Hyuuga would have accomplished, but Neji saw with awe that some of her clean light chakra did seem to escape as she rotated.

He remembered her first words to him, the first night he saw her. _"That was beautiful."_ She had said, right after watching him training.

He smiled softly. _That was beautiful._ She was beautiful.

He walked the remaining space until he was only a few feet away. Ayo had her back to him, bowing slightly to Hiashi, who praised her for her good work. That was very unlike his uncle, but then again Ayo seemed to make people do things they were not used to… Sort of like Naruto, she had an effect on people around her.

"That was very good." Neji started, his voice reaching her ears and making her heart skip a beat. She turned around slowly to face him; he smiled, his lips turning proudly into a half smirk.

She took a small step, followed by another, until she found herself running to him, her arms reaching for his neck as she jumped lightly and gave him a tight hug. Hanabi and Hinata's stared at each other with huge grins and Hiashi watched the display of affection, amused. Neji blushed slightly, his arms quickly holding her waist as he tried to keep their balance and prevent them from falling to the ground. His heart pounded wildly in his chest. He smiled, feeling her perfume and the silk hair that bushed past his fingers. As he looked up, his eyes met Hiashi's for a second and he saw his uncle was smiling at them.

In that moment, the view suddenly made him wonder if that was how it would have felt if it was his own father staring back at him.

He looked down at the kunoichi in his arms and saw the bright smile she gave him.

"Finally!" She exclaimed. "I missed you so much!"

The words clung to his mind. She missed him. He had missed her too, but for some reason he didn't expect her to feel the same, nor to boldly declare it like that, in public. It made him feel needed, wanted. It was a different feeling. He couldn't say he didn't like it.

He did like it. A lot.

"I missed you too... Ayo-chan." He spoke, smiling back at her.

Her eyes widened at the sight. His smile was carefree, easy. He looked younger, warm. It was the first time she saw that smile on him and it made her heart flutter.

She felt like she was meant to make him smile that way.

* * *

Madara waited by the outskirts of Konoha, the usual spot where he and Ayo always met to talk. She was late. Very late. She was never late and for some reason, it infuriated him.

It had been days since he last saw her. She claimed to be busy with the upcoming wedding. That idiotic Senju descendant was getting married to the Hyuuga Princess. Well, who would have thought, he figured maybe idiots were really meant to be together in the end.

He crossed his arms as he saw the kunoichi run towards him. She had a brilliant smile on her face and carried an apple on her hand. He perked up a brow, staring at her. She stopped in front of him and held out the fruit, waiting for him to pick it up.

"So sorry I'm late!" She started. Her smile never faltered, even though he was positively scowling at her. She chuckled and held his hand, forcefully placing the apple on his palm. He frowned. "Don't be mad, Izuna-kun. I'll make up for you!"

The Uchiha leader felt his anger dissolve into a puddle as he looked as her eyes, which irradiated with happiness. He hissed mentally, closing his onyx orbs. _Whatever. Let's get this over with,_ he thought. "Fine. Did you make any progress?" His deep voice inquired.

She chuckled, her fingers toying with one of her long curls of dark brown hair. "I won't lie; I did not practice much after our last meeting. I was learning something else." She said cheerfully, which made his frown come back, even deeper.

Madara felt the frustration rise up inside him. Not only she was standing him up, making him wait like a fool… She was not _even_ _practicing_ the damn kekkei touta, after all. In his mind flashed at least a dozen ways to kill her off for her insolence. Instead, he swallowed his anger and slowly got up, dusting off his clothes as he walked slowly past her, as if she wasn't even there at all.

Ayo's eyes were wide as he walked away, the apple left behind on the rock he was just sitting on. "Izuna-kun?!" She called after him, but he didn't stop. She grabbed the apple and ran after him. "Izuna, what was that?"

"You're wasting my time." He replied bluntly, his hands in his pockets as he kept walking. His long, dark bangs hid his eyes as he spoke. "I hope your other training is going well. See you, Ayo."

She stopped dead on her tracks and watched until he disappeared back inside the gates of Konoha. A heavy feeling weighted her heart down.

She had let him down and now felt guilty about it.

In his mind, as he walked, Madara was also infuriated with himself. Why did he feel so… Hurt? Jealous? He knew about her bond with the Hyuga prodigy, hell, there were practically nothing he did not know about what was going on in Konoha.

The real question was: Why did he care about it? Why did he care about _her_?

* * *

"Neji. It's been a while." The former copy ninja smiled as they both sat on his balcony. A small kid at the age of four stared at the Hyuuga prodigy with big eyes. He smiled and ruffled the boy's white hair that looked exactly like his father's.

"Kakashi-sensei." He started as the child ran off, jumping into the arms of his loving mother not too far from them. "Do you remember that day in the hospital?" Kakashi nodded, his stare showing mild curiosity. Neji took a deep breath. "I believe I finally met _that person_."

"Ah." Kakashi smiled widely. "It took you long enough, but who am I to judge? It was longer for me." He laughed. "Are you sure it's the _one_?"

Neji shook his head, grinning himself. He couldn't stop smiling, it seemed. "Well... I suppose. I think... I think I'm in love with her."

Kakashi looked surprised. "Whoa. _Love_ , you say?" The older grinned. "I see. You are smiling like an idiot, so it's probably something like that. I know I went through the same." He spoke, his eyes briefly looking at his wife in the most endearing way. He looked back at Neji. "May I ask who the lady is?"

"Well… She's not from here..." Neji started, smiling as he thought of her.

Kakashi snorted, interrupting and laughing softly. "Ah, so it's Ayo."

Neji stared at the sixth Hokage with wide eyes. "What?!" His blushing face was a give away, though. "… How did you know?"

"Just a hunch." The copy ninja shrugged. "After all, since she moved to Konoha it seems like she's all the single men, as well of some of the married too, are talking about. The girl caused havoc. It is funny to watch. Tsuna and I are betting on how long it would take her to be snatched away by one of you hormonal freaks. So far, I'm winning." He grinned boyishly.

Neji frowned, crossing his arms. Seems like he was clueless about that fact and now he felt the green monster sneaking up in his mind. Was she dating someone already? He remembered seeing her walking with a random guy, once. Could it be…?

"Hey." Kakashi's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. "If you like the girl, the first step is to tell her. Just do it before someone else does." Kakashi smiled and Neji nodded, lost in his thoughts.

It seemed simple enough… _Right?_

* * *

The Sand siblings approached the gates of Konoha, reaching the village at late night. Naruto insisted on meeting them in person, in spite of the time. They walked together to the Hokage's building, where the guests would be staying.

Temari excused herself when Shikamaru joined them, both of them staying behind as Gaara and Kankurou walked by Naruto's side. The infamous blonde Hokage grinned wildly as he looked at the Kazekage and Gaara stared back at him, confused. "Is there something wrong, Naruto?" He spoke, his deep voice breaking the silence.

The Hokage just grinned. "Nah, nothing at all!" He replied, cheerfully. "I just wanted to thank you, you know?"

Gaara confusion only grew further. "Thank me? What for?"

No one could have missed the way that the Hokage's grin turned up into a sly smirk, but somehow Gaara did. " _Your_ kunoichi is being a great addition to Konoha. What's her name again? Ayo?"

Kankurou laughed as he saw the face his brother made. It was pretty obvious that Naruto was playing him, but he didn't seem to notice at all. Instead, the emotions flashed in Gaara's face and in the end, he simply looked away.

 _So Naruto already knows,_ Kankurou thought.

 _This wedding thing might end up being more interesting than I thought._

* * *

It was the day before Hinata's wedding and the girls were all excused from missions. Ayo figured she would be able to sleep more, but she was very wrong. It was about six a.m. when Hanabi stormed into her room and poked her awake.

"Ayo! Wake up already!"

"Go away…" Ayo muttered, trying to go back to a very vivid dream where she was in the company of two fine, strong, powerful shinobi, one with fiery red hair and crystal green eyes and the other with long dark locks and a stare that reminded her of the moon.

Hanabi wasn't easily turned down, though. "Ayo, come on! We have to get things ready!"

Ayo took a deep breath, trying to decide if she should kill her friend then or after the wedding. Groaning, she sat up and rubbed her eyes. Hanabi cheerful face was annoying. "I want to punch you so badly right now." Ayo muttered.

Hanabi grinned wickedly. "Why? Were you dreaming of Neji nii-san?" Ayo blushed and Hanabi laughed louder. "No way! You were!"

"Shut up, Hana…" Ayo muttered sleepily, rubbing her temples as she got up and stretched. "It's six a.m..." She stared at her clock. "At six in the morning? Really?" She yawned.

"Yes." Hanabi grinned. "Come on, let's wake Hinata up!" She pulled Ayo by her hand and stormed out of her room, dragging the sleepy kunoichi along.

As they made their way to Hinata's room, they passed by Neji who was walking out for his morning training and had just taken a bite of a toast from his breakfast. His eyes widened as he saw the two girls, more specifically Ayo; she was wearing a see through nightgown that barely reached the middle of her thighs. He coughed, almost choking on the toast. She blinked slowly as she passed by him, yawning again, not registering the deep blush on his cheeks as she reached out and stole the toast from his hands, being dragged away by his cousin as she ate a piece of it. Against his best judgment, he turned his head to look as she walked away, getting a nice view of her behind as well. He inhaled deeply, the warmth just spreading through his body and waited for them to be out of sight before slowly walking back to his room. No way could he go out after _that._

Once in Hinata's room, they didn't have to wake her up. The Hyuuga princess was already wide-awake, her huge eyes wide with anxiety. "It's tomorrow." She spoke, looking at the girls. "It's tomorrow." She repeated as in a trance. Ayo finished Neji's toast and yawned once more. Hanabi grinned.

"Nee-chan! Let's get ready!"

Hinata nodded at her sister and looked at Ayo, chuckling as she stared at the sleepy kunoichi. "We should let Ayo-chan get dressed, first."

Hanabi looked at Ayo and grinned shamelessly. "Oh, that's right! Sorry Ayo-chan! That's probably why Neji nii-san looked like he was having a heart attack when we passed him by the halls."

Ayo blinked a couple of times before realizing what the other had said, a deep blush gracing her features.

"HANABI!"

* * *

Who would think that getting a dress would be so hard? Hinata had already picked the dresses up, so it wasn't that troublesome; they only had to try them on and make sure they fit. The problem was that Ayo couldn't be sloppy, as Hanabi made sure to remind her every five minutes.

Neji would obviously be there and so would Gaara. The thought made her stomach churn.

Ayo was nervous; she didn't know if she wanted to see Gaara. If she was completely honest with herself, she did want to see him. She missed him. He was her angel and she never really stopped loving him. At the same time, she wasn't ready to meet him yet. She didn't know if she'd ever be. In addition, there was Neji Hyuuga. At that point, she couldn't deny that she had feelings for him. She didn't know exactly what it was, but it was definitely there and she couldn't ignore it. Maybe it was just a crush, but the truth was clear.

In other words, she was screwed. The night would be a torture, at the least.

She tried to push the thoughts away as she stared at her dress. She sighed, miserably. Hanabi, Sakura and Ino did not seem discouraged at all. They were the epitome of patience. Tenten sighed tiredly. Hinata just giggled. Ayo wasn't usually picky with clothes, but she had to look nice. She had to look more than nice. She felt she had to look fantastic.

They were the bridesmaids and the color of was red. Ayo was grateful for that, since it went well with her skin and eyes. The lace dresses had the same cut; they reached just above the knees and clung to the body like a second skin. Ayo wondered what the hell Hinata was thinking when she picked those dresses. When she put hers on, though, she had to admit it looked really good.

She turned around in front of the mirror, staring at her reflection. Hanabi wolf-whistled cheerfully, joining her. "We look so good." She grinned. "You'll break tons of hearts, Ayo-chan. Poor guys don't know you already love Neji nii-san, though." She grinned.

Ayo stared quietly at herself, sighing. _My heart is the one that is broken_ , she thought as she remembered Gaara. Then again, she couldn't help but feel a little light when she thought of Neji. "Do you think he will like it?" She whispered at Hanabi, who giggled and hugged her.

"I'm sure!" She winked at her friend, giving her a thumb up.

It took hours since the girls finally finished with their dresses and everything was in order. They had lunch and talked about all kinds of things; Ayo was careful enough not to talk about her love life, but it was impossible when Hanabi was around. At least, Gaara wasn't mentioned. The only person that knew about her relation with the Kazekage was Hinata and her shishou did not seem to be interested in the gossip, respecting Ayo's privacy. She was afraid it would all come out at the wedding, though.

"So, you and Neji?" Tenten asked, interested. Ayo quickly shook her head no, but Hanabi nodded eagerly. "Finally someone got to crack that shell." Tenten nodded, ignoring Ayo's protests. The older girl had a crush on Neji for a long time, before finally giving up since all her efforts to get him were in vain.

Ayo sighed, relieved that the subject changed to Tenten's current relationship with Rock Lee. She looked down at her food; she had barely eaten. She was too nervous and couldn't stop thinking about both men. Whenever she would stop thinking about Gaara, Neji would come up and so on, like a cycle. She stared at Hinata, who gave her a sympathetic look.

"You keep sighing…" Hinata started, smiling gently. "You must be very nervous…"

Ayo nodded, staring at her hands. "I am… I don't know what I will do tomorrow…"

Hinata held her hand, squeezing it gently. "Be strong, Ayo-chan. If anyone can do it, it's you."

It was three p.m. when the girls finally left the restaurant. Ayo felt like sleeping, but they weren't done yet.

"Come on, girls! Shoes!" Sakura beamed, leading the group with a determined face. Ayo sighed again. _Boring…_

* * *

The sun was already down when the girls finished with everything. Ayo was glad; she couldn't wait to go home and lock herself on her room until she had no choice but to leave to the wedding. She could already picture the scene: She would be depressed and anxious and Hanabi would probably drag her to the wedding, pulling her by her hair through the compound, as the other Hyuuga would watch in disbelief. Ayo chuckled helplessly at the mental image, shaking her head.

As they turned to leave, though, Sakura and Ino pulled Hinata back and stared at her with wicked grins on their faces. "Oh, not so fast!" Ino exclaimed cheerfully. Hinata stared at them both, confused. The other girls also did not seem to know exactly what was going on.

They walked to a local bar. As soon as the group of kunoichi entered the empty place, the doors were closed and music started to play. Sakura pumped her fist on air. "Time for it to start! Hinata's bachelorette's party!"

Hinata's face went cherry red as she tried to find a way out, but the girls had a tight grip on her and everyone started cheering and laughing. Ayo laughed along, amused by the mortified expression on her shishou's face and could not help but think it would be a nice distraction for herself.

Ayo and Hanabi were the younger ones in the place, at the age of sixteen, which meant they were all legal at shinobi's law. Therefore, it wasn't a problem that they were in a place that served alcohol and apparently only had half-naked men working as waiters. The girls blushed as one of the guys that held a tray of colorful cocktails stopped and smiled at them.

They shyly took a glass each and sipped slowly, tasting the faint alcohol in the liquid. It was Ayo very first drink and she thought it was a bit bitter, but not exactly bad. The burning feeling down her throat wasn't good at first, but as it faded she felt it was somehow pleasant and warm in the chilly evening.

A deep, loud voice was heard as one of the men spoke on the microphone. The females' eyes stared at a small stage where he stood, hidden in the shadows. "Welcome, ladies. Please take a seat…" He went on and waited until all of them sat down and their eyes were looking at his direction. "It's a real… _Pleasure…_ To have you." The man slurred and Hanabi snorted, which made Ayo burst into a fit of giggles. The male only smirked and they noticed more of them were joining him on stage. The dimmed lights flashed on them, making the girls gasp in shock. Hinata looked like she was about to faint. Sakura and Ino cheered wildly. Tenten covered her mouth in a mixture of disbelief and laughter. Ayo and Hanabi chuckled madly, clapping.

A total of nine men stood on stage, dressed in the Akatsuki robes and very tight black underwear. The rogue styled _hitaiates_ completed the looks as each _represented_ a different village and each of the former villains of the once feared group. The half-opened robes revealed the fit, tanned bodies as the men danced _dangerously close_ to their faces. Ayo and Hanabi stared wide-eyed as the _rogue ninja_ from Iwagakure stopped in front of them; he sure seemed to have a huge…

Ayo blinked, sipping her drinking as she blushed furiously, her eyes staring up to the man's eyes as he smirked down at them and moved away. Sakura and Ino cheered shamelessly and soon the other women ended up losing up, laughing and clapping along. All of them but Hinata, who pretty much haven't moved an inch since she was forced down a chair and looked like she was going to pass out at any moment.

The girls exchanged glances when the performance ended. Everyone seemed to silently agree that they should never speak of that night again. Ayo giggled, lightheaded. She stared at the glass in her hands, already empty. During the show, she had more of them and lost count of how many she drank. She felt like a flying feather, a permanent smile on her face, looking at one of the waiters as he held her another drink. Suddenly those things tasted delicious and she couldn't stop drinking them.

She saw Ino walk on stage and start dancing. For some reason, at that point it seemed like a logical thing to do and Ayo went right after her, the spotlights on them as they danced and the other girls cheered along with some of the strippers that were mingling. Sakura seemed to be having a lot of fun with the Amegakure guy. He seemed to be suggesting her a bellybutton piercing and she nodded drunkenly, thinking it was a wonderful idea.

Hinata facepalmed as soon as she recovered, glad the nude spectacle was over. She walked outside for some air. She had to try to figure out a way to get her drunk friends to their homes. As she did so, she noticed someone standing by the door.

"Sai-san?" She called. He looked up at her with a soft smile.

"Hinata-sama. Is it over yet?" He grinned.

She looked mortified, but nodded nonetheless. "We should get them home…"

She walked back inside with Sai and the shinobi stared at the chaotic view with wide eyes. Ino and Ayo danced together on stage; Tenten seemed to be beating one of the guys up for _peeking_ , while Sakura had her shirt unbuttoned and pointed down to her bellybutton, talking to a random guy that had at least six piercings on his face. Hanabi slept soundly on a couch, hugging a pillow that strangely resembled male genitalia.

"Ah… I guess we could use some help." Sai said sheepishly, staring back at Hinata.

The Hyuuga princess covered her mouth, horrified. "Oh my…" She sighed, helplessly. "Alright… I know exactly who to call."

* * *

He couldn't lie. No words could express his surprise as an ink bird stopped by his window, melted down and leaked through the cracks, running to the nearest paper to for the words of an address. _Come immediately_ , it said.

He would have ignored it, but it did say it was from _Hinata-sama_.

It didn't take him long to get there. In fact, he knew the place; The ANBU members took him there once or twice after hard missions to celebrate their good outcomes, although he wasn't especially fond of drinking.

Still, nothing could have prepared him for what he was about to see.

Sai waited for him by the door and as soon as they got inside, he was shocked. Neji couldn't believe his eyes and he doubted that even his Byakugan would assure him that he was witnessing reality.

"Is this… A bachelorette's party?"

Hinata was trying to wake Hanabi, without success. "Yes… Neji nii-san…" The heiress muttered in shame. "I saw things that cannot be unseen…"

Sai nodded, amused. "Hai. Who would know Hinata-sama would get it, when Naruto himself said there was no way he was letting us throw him one!" He smiled cheerfully. Neji sighed.

They proceeded on collecting the girls. Neji only had to glare at the strippers once and the guys were already packing and leaving in a hurry. He sighed as he pulled Tenten away from one of the waiters and sat her down on a chair before looking at the stage. Ayo and Ino were adorned with _Akatsuki_ robes, seemingly souvenirs that the strippers had given them. He frowned, stopping by the stage and holding out his hand at the golden-eyed kunoichi at the same time Sai picked Ino in his arms.

"Come on, Ayo. I suppose that's enough for the night." He spoke gravely as he stared at her. She looked at him with a soft smile and walked in his direction, ignoring his hand and holding out her arms, letting her body fall on as she hugged his neck. He caught her with ease; the stage wasn't so high and she was light on his arms.

He felt a shiver run through his body as her lips brushed his neck. She sounded happy as she spoke in his ear. "Neji-kun…" Another shiver. "I'm so glad you are here…" She slurred, her fingers sloppy as she tugged on his long hair.

"Ayo, we need to go. Now." Hesitating, he gently untangled her from him and she pouted. He held her hand and Tenten's pulling them out of the club. Sai waited outside, holding Ino and Sakura. Hinata helped Hanabi, poking her every now and then to keep her awake.

Sai departed to the opposite direction, taking Ino, Tenten and Sakura with him. Neji and Hinata walked, each holding one of the younger girls as they made their way home. Hinata sighed as she carried her sister, poking the almost unconscious kunoichi. She was glad that Sai provided with ink birds to carry all of their dresses and things.

Ayo walked by Neji, spinning happily on her new Akatsuki outfit. He watched her, not sure if he should be amused or worried sick. She caught him staring and locked her arm with his, leaning her head on his shoulder. He blushed.

"Neji-kun…" She slurred again, stopping and pulling him to a halt as well.

He stared at the woman next to him. She leaned in, her slim fingers gripping on his shirt as she came closer, pulling him into her. His pearl eyes widened slightly at the action. She was on her tiptoes and closed her eyes as her lips aimed for his. He felt his heart at an impossible speed as he found himself unable to stop her.

Not that he had to, though.

A light, but firm push broke the two apart. Her eyes opened as she registered the fact; the rustling sound of sand was heard and the pair looked up to its source.

Teal eyes stared down at them, a few meters away, an angry look burning through them, filled with disbelief and outrage. The faint moonlight was enough for them to recognize him instantly.

Ayo gasped in shock.

"Gaara?!"


	10. Triangle

Ayo stared above, drunkenly watching as the sand floated back to its master. Her eyes could not hide the shock from seeing him, although she had known that the Sand siblings had already arrived to Konoha.

"Gaara?!" She exclaimed, forgetting for a second what she was about to do before he announced his presence. His eyes gave her with nothing but anger and hurt; it was enough for her to recall the kiss that was about to happen, her head turning as she stared at Neji.

The Hyuuga prodigy stared at her, confused, before looking back at the Kazekage before them. Ayo had called him by his first name; the redhead looked beyond furious and had just stopped them from kissing. It did not take a genius to figure out what was happening and the confusion in his eyes finally turned into understanding. Everything seemed to make sense, then. The reason why she left Suna… The reason why a shinobi of her caliber would ask to be moved out of her original village and into a foreign land. The reason she would cry so often. There were still a lot of unanswered questions, but it was not the time for them and the most important was already deciphered.

 _She is in love with him_ , Neji realized, a _nd he seems to return her feelings._

Ayo watched the emotions on his pearl eyes. She seemed to have sobered up drastically, the adrenaline pumping through her veins as a lioness about to get into a life or death match. She stared at Gaara and back at Neji, helpless. Hinata stopped with Hanabi only a few feet away, watching the whole thing as she thought of a way to help her, but there was not much she could say or do.

Neji heard his inner voice telling him. _You knew you were heading out for trouble._ He wasn't sure of what he was experiencing, anymore. A sick feeling took over his heart and he felt lost, as if he wasn't really there. It was more like watching the scene from above. _Well, it seems to be another plot twist in your damned life, Neji Hyuuga._ Who would have known that she would be snatched away by the Kazekage? Not that Neji thought of himself any less than the other man; it simply was impossible to compete with someone she was _already_ in love with.

Gaara, on the other hand, felt an anger he could not really describe. It wasn't like before when he would be possessed by Shukaku's hate; he didn't feel the killing intent and he certainly didn't feel like murdering the Hyuuga in front of him. He knew Neji. He and Naruto were friends and the man was an admirable shinobi. He had been of incredible assistance to Suna before. His participation in the war was nothing but extraordinary and he was like Gaara himself in many ways. He did not feel that kind of madness, no. The fury he felt was related to the situation he was in and somehow he was mostly angry with himself for allowing it to happen. Nevertheless, he was angry with Ayo. He saw it all. She was the one to stop the other male. She was the one to lean and reach out to kiss him. He felt betrayed somehow, which he knew was completely irrational. He knew it was bound to happen, he told himself many times; she had moved to Konoha and she would meet someone else, she would have someone falling for her at speed of light. What Gaara did not really expect was for _her_ to fall out of love with him, especially _that fast, so easily_. She was supposed to be in love with him for years now, from what his sister told him. So why was that happening? He did not expect her to be the one after someone; _that_ hurt him. It made him feel as if he was disposable, worthless and hopeless. _Forgettable._ In addition, it made him feel like his blood was boiling from despair.

"Neji…" She started, an action that the attention of both men on her. Gaara narrowed his eyes at her. Rejection hit him hard and he watched in disbelief.

Neji simply gave her a soft look. "Ayo-san, I believe you two have matters to discuss." His voice was contained, distant. The golden eyes stared at him in despair as he took the first steps away.

"Neji, please wait!" She called out and he stopped on his tracks, his heart racing. Could it be…? Would she choose him after all?

Gaara felt like he had just been slapped hard on the face. His arms moved as he summoned his sand back. That was too much; he could not watch it any longer. It seemed like Ayo had made her choice, after all. He would stand there to _watch_. Turning his back to her, the Kazekage looked away, ready to leave. For all he cared, he would go back to Suna right then. He did not care about the stupid wedding, he didn't care about Naruto, he didn't care about Ayo. To hell with all of it. _He simply did not care anymore._

Ayo caught Gaara's movement and looked back at him, but he had already looked away. Her heartbeats transformed into painful, rhythmic stings as her eyes looked from one to another. Neji Hyuuga. Sabaku no Gaara. They had their backs turned on her. She felt the world spin. The alcohol made her balance falter as she fought for breath, her lungs suddenly failing her as the sheer panic of losing them both took over her.

 _This can't be happening. This can't be…_

 _"_ _Ayo-chan!"_ She heard Hinata cry out before her vision turned dark and her legs collapsed, taking her down to the ground.

* * *

Hinata screamed. Neji and Gaara turned around just in time to see the kunoichi fall to the ground soundly. Both stared wide-eyed at the scene, reacting at the same time as they reached out to help her, but it was too late. She had already fallen and no one was there to catch her. Hinata held Hanabi helplessly, looking horrified as she watched the unconscious woman.

"Ayo…" Gaara's voice sounded for the first time as he called out to her, picking her up in his arms gently. His eyes held no anger anymore. Instead, guilt and worry flashed on them. Neji stared at the girl with the same feelings plastered on his face.

"Kazekage-sama." The female's voice was soft, but Gaara's head snapped at Hinata, noticing the hint of annoyance in her tone.

The Hyuuga princess looked upset and it was probably the first time he was seeing that look in her face. "Forgive me if I'm being too bold, but we are going home now. Including Ayo." Gaara opened his mouth, but was cut short. "I apologize once more, but you have no choice on the matter. Ayo is my pupil and I am taking her with me. Obviously, she is too stressed out. You can talk to her tomorrow, once she is well." The Kazekage frowned, making another attempt to protest, but Hinata interrupted him again. "No. No buts, Kazekage-sama. I can't stand the fact that she just passed out because _you two_." Both Neji and Gaara visibly flinched at her harsh tone and aggressive look and that was impressive enough considering it was sweet Hinata-sama who was speaking. "Neji-kun, pick her up and let us go. Not a word from you, either. I am fed up with you two for now. Try pulling that on my wedding and I will deal with you both personally."

Gaara knew defeat when he saw it. "Very well. I will walk with you, then."

Hinata decided to let it slide. Neji seemed disturbed by the decision, but said nothing. They walked together in utter silence until they reached the Hyuuga gates. Gaara was reluctant, but gave Ayo away and Neji picked her up from his arms.

Hinata turned to Gaara, who watched Neji walk away with his kunoichi. "Kazekage-sama, I know you and Ayo have a history and I won't take sides. If I were completely honest with you, nothing would make me happier than to see her with my cousin, but I know you are a good person as well and a great shinobi. If Ayo decides to be with you, I will be happy too. I respect you." Gaara listened in silence and nodded once, almost solemnly. She continued. "Don't change that, please."

His teal eyes widened at the last words as the Hyuuga princess bowed at him and walked away. He could not deny his newfound respect for the woman.

They cared about Ayo, it was very clear. At least he could rest assured she would be taken care of. He walked away slowly, lost in his thoughts. He would have to handle things differently the next day if he truly desired a different outcome.

* * *

When Ayo woke up, she felt like the moon was falling… Right on her head.

The splitting headache burned her eyes and mind. Her body felt heavy, the light was offending and she groaned sickly, covering her face with the blanket. Memories from the previous night came back to her as she blinked slowly, trying to wake up.

 _"_ _Gaara?!"_

 _The Kazekage stared at her with narrowed eyes; Anger flashed through his teal orbs, his arms crossed. He didn't say it, but his look was worth a thousand words. It was like he was asking what the hell was happening._

Ayo gasped as more memories came back.

She was about to _kiss_ Neji when Gaara showed up. She sat up in a hurry and regretted it immediately, the room spinning from the remaining alcohol in her system, her head pounding painfully.

He had broken them apart. He looked _livid_. Mad. Hurt. Betrayed.

She felt like someone just punched her in the ribs and her hand held her chest instinctively. Then… What happened after?

Ayo closed her eyes and searched in her mind with all her might, but nothing came. She had no idea of what happened before that. Somehow, her mind was blank. Everything else was erased; she had no idea at all.

She hissed in frustration. She had made a fool of herself in front of Neji and Gaara hated her.

Great.

"And here I was, thinking the wedding would be _awkward_." She muttered to herself, sighing.

* * *

Ayo stared at her own reflection at the huge mirror in Hinata's room. Most everyone was ready, including her. They were only waiting for Hinata, who was still making sure she looked just perfect. Ayo was lost in her own little world as she waited for her lovely shishou to get ready.

Sparing a few minutes of her anxious day, Hinata had told her everything that had happened the night before. The Hyuuga heiress felt it was needed, since Ayo would be seeing the two men in the wedding anyway. Might as well prepare her for whatever would happen. Hinata felt sympathy for the girl; after all, she came to Konoha to run from heartache and now she was bracing for a tsunami of drama. Who would have thought things would get that complicated so fast?

Back to Ayo, the kunoichi stared blankly at her own reflection. Her long, wavy hair was styled in its natural fashion. Hanabi had decorated the long, wild waves with small white flowers. All the bridesmaids had the same dress and flowers in their hair. Ayo did not wear any jewelry. Her eyes were painted with the thick black and gold makeup that was customary from Suna. Her long eyelashes didn't need any mascara and her mouth was clear from lipstick. They had done their nails, but that was about everything Ayo had done to doll herself up. After hearing the facts that Hinata related, she felt a little sad and discouraged.

Neji walked away from her. Gaara turned his back on her.

Things did not exactly look good, as expected. She had a feeling that the wedding would be a disaster for her. She was glad that at least Hinata would be happy. She tried to forget about her own life as hard as she could and focus on Hinata. It was her shishou's day and nothing could diverge her attention from it. _Not even the two man she loved._

Her golden eyes widened at the thought. Did she really love them _both_? She loved Gaara. That was her certainty. Neji, though… What did she really feel about him? She loved being around him, she loved most everything about him, she was always sad whenever they would spend days without seeing each other. Was that enough, though? Was it enough to be considered love?

Then again, she did try to kiss him. Was it only attraction? Was it because she was drunk? What the hell was it?

The kunoichi hissed, looking away from her reflection. She was doing it again. She had just decided to push the thought of them aside and there she was, breaking the resolution before a single minute passed. This was going to be hard as hell.

"Ayo-chan?" Hanabi called softly, also aware of the previous night. "We should get going…"

Ayo looked at her friend and smiled softly.

 _Shinobi endured._

Time to swallow the fear, bury the nervousness deep down and put a smile on her face.

"Of course, Hana-chan. Let's do this."

* * *

Gaara watched quietly as Temari fixed his tie. Kankurou had already gotten ready and vanished from the room, saying something about _checking out the bridesmaids_. His brother was hopeless, it seemed. Now that he was alone with his sister in the room, he knew it was just a matter of time before she started speaking and he knew damn well what she would be talking about.

Temari's teal eyes, much like his own, narrowed slightly as she pulled her hands away from his tie. Her palms smoothed his already impeccable black jacket. Gaara watched her face twist in concentration and wonder. He knew she was thinking on how to start talking about the sensitive subject that Ayo had become.

His sister took a step back and looked him over. He stared at her, blankly. Her fingers suddenly attacked his red hair, ruffling it until it was back into its spiked, messy form. Gaara knew better than to protest; as she would always say, _she knew what she was doing._ She smiled brightly, holding her hands to her heart. "My baby brother… You look perfect. You're truly more handsome that any male ever was in our family. I'm so proud!"

Gaara felt the slightest blush tint his cheeks. "Thank you…"

"Look, Gaara… I know that you are not in the best mood right now, but you like Ayo, don't you?"

He nodded. "I _love_ her, Temari."

The blonde woman smiled softly. "Don't let her go, this time. Fight for her."

Gaara stared at the woman, confused. "You mean I should challenge the Hyuuga on his cousin's wedding? Isn't that…"

"No! Not like that!" His sister chuckled softly, her hands resting on his shoulders. "Gaara, not all the fights are literal. You need to show her exactly how you feel. Fight for her; tell her what is in your heart, show her you mean every word. She loves you. Whatever she feels for the Hyuuga is not compared to what she feels for you."

"Tell what's in my heart…" He repeated softly, frowning. "That's not easy at all. How can you be sure what she feels doesn't compare? What if it is even stronger than whatever she thought felt for me?" Ayo had a platonic crush on him. This time, she met someone and probably developed the feelings in a completely different way. There was no way of telling the intensity of those feelings based solely on what he saw the previous night.

Temari shook her head, though, in disagreement. "Trust me on this. I know what I'm saying. She loves no one like she loves you."

Gaara stared at a mirror from the corner of his eyes, checking his own reflection. Temari reached out to place a white flower on his jacket's pocket, something that all the groomsmen were to use. The Kazekage felt confused and nervous, but for the time being, he would have to endure. There was no way of telling how the night would turn out. He thought of Naruto; the Hokage and his friend took years to finally realize what he wanted and who his true love was. Gaara would have to be patient. Luckily, things would turn out on his favor.

* * *

They all had rehearsed for the night and, as highly trained shinobi, there was little chance that they would screw it up. At the back room, the master of ceremony went on the main points one last time as the bridesmaids and groomsmen listened quietly, some paying a lot of attention and some simply too bored from listening it from the thousandth time. Three of the people seemed to be in their own worlds, though. Ayo, Gaara and Neji were in the same place again. She avoided looking at them. They kept staring at her and eventually exchanged grave looks, but no words were spoken.

"So, one last time: The best man, Iruka Umino, will come first. After that, the groom… Naruto, stop biting your nails! As I was saying, the groom will follow. The minister walks inside after it. Then, the bridesmaids will walk in accompanied by their respective groomsmen." The man stopped for a breath. "Please stand in groups of two and in line as I call your names. Kakashi and Tsunade." The couple smiled as they looked at each other.

"Neji and Hanabi." The younger Hyuuga squeezed her cousin's hand gently, knowing what was about to come.

"Gaara and Ayo." Ayo felt her hands shake in spite of herself as she watched Gaara take slow steps towards her, stopping beside her. He didn't say a word. She stared at Neji and then back at Gaara. They were both stunningly handsome and she felt her heart go wild on her chest. _Where in the universe would that be considered fair?_

Both men were basically wearing the same outfit; black tie wardrobe with the white flowers in their pockets. Neji looked like he came out of a novel, the most handsome man in the place. His long brown hair was let lose for the night. Locks of silk brushed his face as his pearl eyes looked down as his hands. He looked like he felt lost, as if he didn't really belong to such happy event. And Gaara… The Kazekage's fiery hair was messy beyond impossible, but instead of giving him a sloppy look, it made him look extremely sexy and alluring. His teal eyes were intense, although there was a hint of nervousness in them.

As she thought about them, they also thought about her. Neji stole a glance and that was enough. Gaara looked up as she entered the room and felt like his heart had stopped for a moment; the caramel skin beauty was gorgeous, shining in glory. The sparkling red dress hugged her curves merciless, showing the lines of her body like painting on a canvas. Her long, wavy hair cascaded to her waist, adorned by tiny white flowers. Her orbs sparkled as liquid gold.

She looked like a queen.

It took them all self-control not to drool at the sight.

Neji did not dare giving her a second look after that. His heart twisted with jealousy and sadness. She was not with him. She _would not_ be with him. He could feel it in his gut and when he had that kind of feeling, he usually was right.

He didn't want to be right this time.

Gaara stopped next to her and looked at her from the corner of his eyes. She held her hands together, biting her bottom lip. He felt his heart speed up; he loved when she did that. He loved most everything about her and the thought of it brought a weight into his chest. He sighed, barely audibly. She heard it, though, and looked up instantly, meeting his eyes.

They looked at each other for a moment. Ayo felt her cheeks redden from the look he was giving her. His eyes burnt her and he did not bother to hide it. She looked away.

It was going to be a long, long night.

* * *

They were finally excused. The wedding wouldn't take long to begin, it was now a matter of minutes. Iruka was doing his best to calm Naruto down, but the blonde was hyperactive to the extreme. Ayo chuckled at the sight of him, making her way outside for some air. She needed to prepare for the next hours. She had no idea how, though.

Hanabi joined her after a couple of minutes. The two girls leaned on the balcony edge, staring at the landscape in front of them. It was a beautiful place, filled with nature. The trees were green and filled with life. A lake reflected the sky and they watched quietly as a few leaves touched the surface of the water.

"Ayo-chan…" Hanabi started, unsure of what to say.

"It's alright, Hana… Go ahead." Ayo sighed sadly, a faint smile on her face. "Tell me how awful I am… That's certainly how I feel right now."

Hanabi sighed. "I wasn't going to say that." She paused, looking at the other girl. "I'm sorry about the mess you're in. I had no idea you and the Kazekage were together."

"We were never together." Ayo said, bitterness stroking her words. "That was just a silly dream of mine… A dream that I had for years and that turned into this awful nightmare."

"But you love him, don't you?"

Ayo looked at the sky and sighed, nodding. "I do. I love him so much it hurts."

"Then what about… Neji nii-san?" Hanabi asked softly.

Ayo stared back at the water, thoughts of thee Hyuuga prodigy invading her mind. "Neji… I don't know exactly what I feel for him." She confessed. "All I know is that the thought of losing him is too painful. I miss him whenever he is not around… I'm utterly happy whenever he is." Ayo closed her eyes, sighing. "His voice is soothing and his touch makes me feel safe. I'm a jounin… I can't believe I just said that." She chuckled softly. "I'm so lame." She sighed again, resting her forehead on the wooden edge.

Ayo stroked her friend's hand gently. "Ayo-chan… That sounds like love to me."

Ayo bit her lip to prevent the tears from coming. "Hana… Do you think it's possible to love two people at the same time?"

Hanabi pondered for a moment before replying. "I've never loved before, but yes… I think it's possible. I think anything is possible, Ayo-chan."

Ayo straightened up and took a deep breath. "I don't want to think of this anymore… At least not for now. I need to focus on Hinata nee-chan. These crazy thoughts can wait."

Hanabi chuckled softly and nodded, pulling her by her hand. "I concur. Let's go back inside, shall we?"

Ayo nodded, smiling gently at the girl next to her.

 _Thank you, Hana-chan…_


	11. Gentlemen's Agreement

The wedding went smoothly. Ayo smiled as she watched the newlywed couple dance. Hinata and Naruto couldn't stop smiling and she was very happy for them, they deserved it all. Both matched beautifully. They were clearly made for each other, Ayo thought with a soft look. Her own heart skipped a beat at the thought; feelings of longing soaked her soul and she felt the stroke of those feelings inside her chest, making her sigh as she heard the slow, romantic song that played. She couldn't stop herself from thinking…

Who was she made to be with?

She sighed as she recalled a few minutes before. Hinata had thrown the bouquet and of course, it fell right on Ayo's hands. Everyone cheered and she quickly shoved the offending object into Hanabi's hands. She could imagine Temari having the thrill of her life; her sensei always believed in the power of those damned flowers.

At that same moment, Gaara's eyes widened at the sight. He recalled his sister's words about that superstition. If it was indeed true, now Ayo would be the next one to get married. He wondered if the kunoichi would want that and, if so, who would be lucky enough to be chosen. He looked at the Hyuuga's prodigy as the other man approached him. As he stopped next to Gaara, both of them looked at Ayo's direction, watching as she tried desperately to force Hanabi to accept the bouquet.

"Kazekage-sama." Neji's voice sounded, calm but firm. Gaara nodded once, looking at him. Neji seemed to take a second to decide how to phrase his thoughts. "I don't really know how to put this other than bluntly, so I'll just go ahead and say it." That was enough to get the red head's full attention and Gaara fully turned to face him, crossing his arms. "I'm not stupid. I know you came for her and I know by now you and Ayo have history." Neji's pearl orbs pierced the other man's ones, but both seemed collected. "One would think it's her destiny to be with you and as such, it should be my destiny to back off." Neji smiled softly. "However, I don't believe in such things anymore. I believe we can fight against such notions I will. I am in love with her. I owe myself to at least try."

Gaara listened to the words carefully. So the other male did not know about his relationship with Ayo until the past night. That stung a bit; she didn't even mention him in the first place. Pushing that thought for later, he realized what was just happening. The Hyuuga was letting him now that he would not give up on Ayo. Gaara admired the spirit in the other shinobi, he could not deny it. Plus, he admitted he was in love with her and he seemed completely sincere about it. "I see." The Kazekage started, giving him a short nod. "You should know then, Ayo is my first love and I do not intend on giving her up, either. I hurt her once, but I will do everything in my power to turn it around and get her forgiveness."

Neji was surprised to hear those words. He knew that the Kazekage had feelings for Ayo, that much was clear. However, he didn't expect the man to admit his love as clearly as he had just done a minute before. Surprise struck him again as he saw Gaara hold out his hand for him to shake. The hidden meaning was clear to him; they should do their best. Whomever she chose would be with her, no cheating and no dirty games _._

Neji nodded, reaching out and shaking Gaara's hand.

It was established. A gentlemen's agreement.

"Alright." Neji smiled, which soon turned into a soft smirk. Since they were being honest with each other, he figured he might as well warn the other one about a small detail. "You should know something else, then."

Gaara looked at him, curious. Their hands disconnected and the Hyuuga crossed his arms, mimicking the Kazekage. "What is it?"

"We are not the only ones in the chase." Neji spoke, recalling his talk with Kakashi; the sixth Hokage told him that a lot of males were interested in her. There was also that guy who seemed to often walk the kunoichi home.

Gaara frowned, letting a soft hiss escape his lips, looking at Ayo just in time to see a man approaching her.

 _Oh, man. What a drag._

* * *

"Beautiful bridesmaid, would you like to dance?"

Ayo was sipping on her drink, but she knew better; no alcohol this time. She looked up to meet the dark eyes of none other than the fifth Raikage himself. She almost choked on the sweet liquid as she saw his smile, his hand waiting for hers patiently as he watched her.

Hanabi chuckled, elbowing her friend gently. Ayo tried to think of a way to escape, but there was none. When a Kage asks you to dance, there's just one thing to do. She smiled embarrassed, slipping her hand on his and getting up.

He was the first one to ask her to dance, to her astonishment. She would have bet Neji or even Gaara would have risked it first, but then again maybe they were too busy _avoiding_ her. Darui's brilliant smile flashed as he felt her hand on his and Ayo heard Hanabi's whisper: _Have fun._ The kunoichi chuckled softly, deciding to do as she was told. Her heart was deeply plagued by drama and worry; it wouldn't hurt to have some fun, right?

People from all countries came to the wedding and musicians from all over were playing at the reception; Konoha turned into a cultural center as all kinds of people mingled together. As Ayo and Darui made their way to the dance floor, a cheerful, upbeat song was playing. It sounded like some kind of Salsa, the many instruments producing a rich melody that was irresistible; Ayo felt like dancing automatically and she wondered if the Raikage knew how to go with it.

Before they stopped, Darui lifted his arm swiftly, pulling her and making her gracefully spin the rest of the way to him. Ayo gasped, surprised, stopping close to him and blushing softly as he caught her other hand. She had her answer; it seemed that he knew exactly what he was doing. The fifth Raikage wasted no time and they started to move. He led her with ease and she couldn't help but laugh happily each time he would spin her around, his hand stopping on the small of her back, respectfully not going any lower.

Hinata and Naruto were talking to Kakashi and Tsunade and both couples stopped to watch the dancing display. Everyone seemed to be watching, at that point. Ayo wasn't exactly the best dancer, but the Raikage's skills made her look like an expert. Hinata giggled as Tsunade whistled loudly.

"What a fun party!" The fifth Hokage exclaimed, excited. "Kakashi, come on, let's join!"

The sixth Hokage chuckled nervously. "Tsuna, I don't dance."

"Nonsense. Here, drink more." Tsunade urged and the other couple laughed.

In the meantime, Hanabi sneaked on her cousin, toying with the bouquet Ayo gave her as she spoke to him. "Neji nii-san, you should ask her to dance. Just saying…" She smirked as she saw a faint blush on the other Hyuuga's face.

Before he could make a move, though, the song ended and someone else cut in.

* * *

"May I?" She heard that voice and froze. The Raikage nodded cheerfully, planting a polite kiss on Ayo's hand and making his way to ask someone else to dance.

The kunoichi nervously accepted his hand, looking helplessly as Darui left. The puppet master and insatiable playboy of Suna stared back at her. He looked very different without the facial paint and it made her very nervous. They never really interacted apart of the dreadful day at the oasis, when he interrupted her and Gaara.

"Kankurou-san." She started, not really knowing what to say.

"Ayo. You look beautiful today." He started. "Are you enjoying Konoha so far?"

She felt her face hot from the comment, but only nodded. "Thank you. Yes. It's a beautiful place, but I miss Suna dearly." She commented, giving him the truth.

He smiled at her. "Well, Suna misses you as well." He hinted and she knew exactly what he was talking about. Gaara's siblings weren't exactly subtle. "When are you coming back?"

She sighed, looking down as they danced. "It's not that simple…"

"Why, though? Make it simple." He reasoned. She shook her head no and stepped back, ready to walk away. Kankurou wasn't finished, though, and pulled her back gently with a tug on her hand. "Ayo, Gaara is in love with you." She gasped and looked up at him with wide eyes. "He's just not good with emotions. Guys like us need a little push, you know?" He smiled at her. She sighed again.

"He… No, he can't be…" She shook her head once more, denying it. _In love with her? No way._ "He wants me to go back, I know that…But loving me? Don't exaggerate, Kankurou-san. I'm not that important, he barely knows me."

"And what? That Hyuuga does?" Kankurou frowned and she blushed harder. "You need to make up your mind, you know? We won't stay here much longer."

Ayo knew that. She just had no idea of what to do. "I know. You're right." She spoke and the shinobi stared at her, startled. "What would you do? Were you ever in love? If not, you can't possibly know what I'm going through."

She was right and he looked down. "You have a point, Ayo. I do have my brother's best interest in mind and I know having you back in Suna would make him happy. I can't make you go, of course. I can only hope you will find reason." He smiled at her once more, bowing shortly as the song ended. "Think about it."

She nodded. "Believe me, I wish I could _stop_ thinking about it."

He laughed. "I like you, Ayo. You'll be good for Gaara, I know it."

The kunoichi sighed. _These two..._ She smiled softly as she thought of Kankurou and Temari. Suddenly she wished she had siblings, too.

* * *

"Wow. Who would believe the Kazekage could turn out looking so good? Such a man, now!" Tenten whispered at the girls as Lee went away to talk to the other males. Sakura nodded as all eyes looked in Gaara's direction. They agreed eagerly and Ayo focused her attention on the neon straw between her fingers, feeling Hanabi's stare burning on her.

"That's true. I wonder if he is committed, already." Hanabi teased, aware that the other girls had no idea about Ayo's relationship with Gaara.

Suddenly all ears were perked up; that was high gossip. "So true! Ayo-chan, you're from Suna! Tell us, is he?" One of the girls urged, curiously.

Ayo glared daggers at Hanabi, who grinned wickedly. "Not that I know of…" She lied.

"Is that so? I wonder if he would like to dance. Should I just go and ask him?" Hanabi pressed. She was an uncorrectable teaser.

"I don't know. Why don't you just go and do it?" Ayo snapped, but the other girls seemed oblivious to her change of mood.

"Alright, why don't I? Wish me luck!" She winked and got up. Ayo's eyes widened in shock as she watched her friend actually go towards Gaara in all boldness she mustered.

"I can't believe she's actually going to…" Ayo muttered and Sakura nodded.

"True! She's so forward! I wish I had the guts too..." The pink haired kunoichi admitted, admiring the Hyuuga as she thought about Sasuke.

Tenten agreed. "She and Hinata-chan are complete opposites in this department!"

"I bet she will chicken out." Came a voice they all knew too well.

"Tsunade-shishou!"

The girls laughed. Naturally, Tsunade would be wrong and it was proved when the girl reached Gaara. The Kazekage looked at the girl with mild surprise, wondering if she was there to defend her cousin, the only thing he could think of as a reason for her approaching him. To his utter disbelief, she flashed him a flirtatious smile. "Kazekage-sama, would you dance with me?"

If the young woman didn't actually say the word _Kazekage_ , Gaara would probably think she had directed the question to anyone else, even though she was staring right into his eyes. He opened his mouth, but seemed unable to form a single syllable. Hanabi chuckled and held his hand, pulling him gently with her. "Come!" She smirked and he felt himself being taken to the dance floor.

"Ah, crap." Tsunade hissed, handing Tenten a few bucks. Ayo felt herself boil with anger. _I'm gonna kick her sorry ass for this,_ the kunoichi thought.

Naruto watched the interaction from across the room and pointed at the improbable couple as he tugged on Hinata's sleeve. "Ano… Hinata-chan… Is that your sister?"

Neji's curiosity was picked too and both Hyuuga stared at the direction the blonde Hokage was pointing. Hinata covered her mouth in shock, suppressing her giggles as her eyes stopped on a blushing Kazekage and her sister dancing what seemed like an old school rock'n'roll song. Neji almost choked on his drink. _What is she planning?_ He thought. There was no way Hanabi would _innocently nor randomly_ pick Gaara to dance.

"They look so cute!" Hinata commented. Neji rolled his eyes.

Hanabi explained to Gaara how to move to the song. She couldn't help but feel sympathetic as she noticed he just _couldn't_ dance at all. He felt shy and stupid, but at least he knew he wasn't the only one to completely embarrass himself in Naruto's wedding. Killer B's earlier rapping was enough to be more memorable than Gaara's terrible skills in dancing. He was a shinobi! Killing a thousand of enemies? Easy. Dancing with a beautiful girl in front of a crowd?

Not really.

"Kazekage-sama?" She leaned closer and whispered in his ear. She knew Ayo would be fuming by then, probably watching their every move. "I apologize, I had no idea you didn't know how to dance. Is that why you didn't ask Ayo-chan yet?"

Gaara's eyes snapped into hers and Hanabi grinned. "Oh, I do know about it. Don't worry, though. She's probably boiling from jealousy right now. It'll score you some points, I promise." The girl continued, holding his hand and helping him dance as the song turned slower.

"I don't understand…" He spoke, confused. Was she _helping_ him? He was confused. "I'd think you'd be on your cousin's side." He pointed out and she giggled. He pulled her, being able to perform one of the small steps she taught him before.

"Actually, I'm on Ayo's side. She's my friend, but she's too proud and you guys are too slow." She winked at him and his stare softened. "She likes you both. I'm trying to give her a hand on figuring things out. Plus, it's all good fun, I love teasing people." She chuckled happily. "By the way, you guys should hurry or the Raikage might as well join the race!" She joked and they stopped, the song ending.

"... Race?" Gaara repeated slowly, clearly confused. The Hyuuga girl laughed softly.

"Gaara-sama, that was fun. Thank you for dancing with me." She smiled and leaned, kissing his cheek before walking away. He scratched the back of his head, walking back to his table. Once he sat down, he reached for his glass and stopped as he finally noticed the look on his sister and Shikamaru's faces, their mouths hanging open.

"… What?" He muttered, looking away, a dark blush on his cheeks.

* * *

Ayo had walked away as soon as Hanabi made her way back. She didn't get too far, though. A too well known voice stopped her and she froze on here tracks, feeling her heart race.

"Ayo-san?"

A soft love song had started to play when he spoke. He was still using the honorifics, it seemed. She could play that game, too. "Hyuuga-san. How can I help you?" She looked at him blankly, her voice as cool as Autumn's wind.

His handsome face smiled softly as he reached out, his hand holding hers loosely, giving her a chance to pull away. She didn't. "Dance with me." His deep voice demanded and she felt her heartbeats falter slightly.

"Took you long enough." She replied sharply and their fingers brushed softly before he entwined them, pulling her closer. "What made you change your mind? I thought you were avoiding me." She said as they danced to the slow melody.

"Well… I realized I was being a coward." He started, his thumb making small circles on her back as they moved, making her feel weak on the knees. "If I'm to fail, I've got nothing to lose right?" Neji smiled.

"Are you setting up for failure already, Hyuuga-san?" She used the same words she had told him once he challenged her to try the Kaiten.

He grinned, closing his eyes, her scent filling his air. He memorized every detail and how it felt holding her. "I can only know if I try, isn't that right?"

She nodded slowly, watching him. "Indeed…" It was barely a whisper, but he heard it and his eyes opened slowly to hers, drinking her golden orbs like liquor. He felt his own heart race.

"How did you manage to do this?" He muttered, frowning gently. She stared back, confused.

"Do what?"

He said no more. They kept dancing until the song ended; he smiled and reached out, the back of his hand stroking her face gently. "I'll see you at the compound later."

"Later?" She questioned. He didn't reply and walked away. He knew he was being a coward again, but if he stood by her for another second, he would claim her lips right there, in front of everyone. He knew that would only confuse her even more and it wasn't fair to her. He had to control himself.

Ayo stared as he walked away and felt beyond frustrated. She could feel the warmth of Neji's touch on her face, her whole body responded to it and he simply walked away. She hissed, turning around and walking the opposite direction. _Stupid men. All they do is mess with my heart and head._ Gaara didn't even try to talk to her all night. She felt like screaming and pulling at her hair like a spoiled brat. She came to a halt when she reached a garden, far enough from the party. She walked under a huge tree and concentrated enough to calm down. It didn't take long for her to feel a presence behind her and she turned around. Gaara stood there, caging her to him with his demanding stare. No words were needed; she knew that look. She knew the words behind his stare.

 _Took him long enough_ , she thought and gasped as she realized it was the same thing she had said to Neji a moment ago. She felt guilty and trapped. Was she really in love with them _both_?

Gaara had seen them dancing and was glad that she finally stepped away from the dance floor. He wanted to talk to her all night, but she was always with someone else. He wanted to meet her alone. The redhead took a step forward, watching for her reaction. When she did not move away, he walked the rest of the gap between them and stopped by her. He had no idea of what to say, but that had costed him greatly before. He had to voice his feelings, somehow. At least, that was what Temari told him to do. "I missed you." His deep voice cut the silence and she looked at him, biting her bottom lip. His eyes followed the gesture and he continued, a ghost of a smile on his lips. "I missed that as well."

"What?" She whispered, her pulse speeding up exponentially with every word he spoke.

His teal eyes looked at hers and then back to her lips. His hand reached out, his thumb brushing her mouth softly, making a shiver run through her body. "This. When you bite your lip like that. I love it."

Was this really happening? Ayo felt her body warm up instantly. Her back leaned against the trunk of the tree as she fought for balance, but her legs felt like jelly.

 _Show her exactly how you feel._ Gaara's eyes took her image once more. She was beyond beautiful; he recalled how she looked underneath that dress and a look of raw, indescribable lust took over him. He felt like tearing that dress apart. Reaching out, his fingers delved into her long hair and he pushed himself against her slim body, craving for her lips as he kissed her deeply, savagely.

All thoughts flew away from her mind and she probably couldn't tell her own name if asked then. Their tongues fought for control and she broke it, breathless, but he pinned her against the tree and captured her lips once more, his kiss bruising as his free hand gripped her thigh and pulled it up around him. Ayo gasped against his mouth, their bodies dangerously close, his palm on her bare skin as he pulled her dress up to her waist.

"Gaara…!" She hissed, half moaning his name in a hushed tone as she tried not to call attention to them, a small portion of her mind trying to regain control.

"I missed this, too. When you call my name like that…" He commented, breathlessly, his thumb brushing her nipple, the fabric of the dress standing on his way. "I missed every inch of you, your eyes like gold, your perfume, your hair and the curves of your body…" His voice dripped with feeling. "I missed you."

She was in awe as she heard his words. She had no idea he felt that way… Was it real? Was she dreaming? Her arms held his neck and pulled him to her, her mouth crashing on his again. Their tongues were urgent, as much as their hands and racing hearts. Ayo couldn't stop and Gaara couldn't have enough of her. All sanity abandoned him and he wasn't able to reason anymore. He could only think of her and how she was responding to him; in spite of everything that happened, she still wanted him. He couldn't stop.

Ayo, though, still had little conscience left and she pulled him away, hesitantly. "Gaara… G-Gaara, wait… S-stop…"

He forced himself to do as she said and looked at her, his eyes glazed with lust. They were both panting, trying to catch their breathing. "Don't you wan…"

"Sssh, just wait…" She took a deep, shaky breath. "We can't do this here… I don't want that to happen again…"

He blushed softly, remembering the time they were caught. He nodded slowly, understanding. "Alright…" He tried to calm his heart and his body. It was a long way to Suna. He couldn't imagine himself waiting three days to kiss her again.

"I'll meet you in your room." She whispered, her heart racing at her own suggestion. His green eyes widened in surprise. "Give me ten minutes..." She pressed, her hands on his chest as she pushed him, hurrying. "I'll be right behind you… Go!"

He nodded and left, but not before stealing another heated kiss, excitement rushing through him as he made his way back to the room he was staying at in the Hokage's building. He couldn't believe that was happening.

 _Things were finally turning in his favor._

* * *

Crimson eyes watched her every move.

The way those two kissed... It made his fists clench and anger fill his entire body, fury reaching every cell of his being.

Madara did not know why he felt that way. Once Gaara left, his Sharingan narrowed and he felt like revealing himself to Ayo, spiking up his chakra, talking, anything that would make her finally notice him; anything to ruin the little _party_ that she was planning with that insect of a Kage.

 _Kazekage, tch._ Madara thought, annoyed. _Big deal. Being a Kage means nothing._

He then recalled that once upon a time Hashirama himself pointed him as second Hokage. Of course it never happened, since everyone was so terrified of him and the Uchiha clan.

He looked up at Ayo, giving her a last glance as he watched her leave. The thoughts of her with another man plagued him, but he was too proud to admit it.

Instead, he looked up the clear sky, his advanced eyes spotting even more starts than it was possible for the normal humans' eyes.

 _I wonder... Would she be afraid of me?_ He thought.


	12. Animals

_"_ _I'll meet you in your room.".._

 _"_ _Give me ten minutes..."_

Gaara could hear his own heart pounding madly as stopped in front of his room. She would come soon. The taste of her lips still lingered on his own. He closed his eyes and sighed, resting his forehead on the cool wooden door for a moment, the soft night breeze ruffling his fiery red locks. He took a deep breath.

He was nervous.

He had never done _that_ before. Whatever confidence he appeared to have was acquired by instinct. He had no experience, whatsoever. He wondered if she had. Would she think he was weird for never being with anyone at the age of 25? She was 16, just turned legal by shinobi law, but that did not mean she would necessarily be a virgin. He hoped she was, though. He simply did not want to think of her with someone else... However, he knew that in the end it wasn't really that important; nothing would change his feelings for her. What he felt was beyond simple infatuation or desire to possess her. He was in love with her. He had no doubt of it at all.

He opened his green eyes and allowed the resolve to sink in. He would just let things flow. So far, he had acted naturally with her, whenever they kissed and touched. There was no point in being nervous, then. He would know what to do as soon as her lips brushed his. With a determined feeling, he opened the door and walked inside, closing it behind him. He turned on the lights...

And his eyes widened in shock and surprise.

 _"_ _Kazekage-sama… I've been waiting for you…"_

At the mellifluous voice that sounded across the room, a strange feeling of panic filled every ounce of his body. What was that? Who was that? _And more importantly, what is this woman doing on my bed?_

"Who are you?!" He could not hide the hint of urgency and annoyance in his deep voice. "Actually, it does not matter; you have to go. Now." He didn't have time to be polite. If Ayo saw her…

The woman's lips twitched into what she probably thought was an alluring smirk. "I'm Aimi Arata, from the Land of Water." She spoke and Gaara watched helplessly as she stretched slowly, giving him a good view of the smooth skin beneath the heavy cloak she wore. She stared at him slyly, from head to toe. "I couldn't resist, I had to meet you. We all know you from your many… accomplishments."

"Thank you, but you really have to go. Now." He didn't want to touch the woman, but he knew it would cause havoc if he just dragged her out with his sand. He walked to his bed and, as gently as he could, reached out to grab her arm and pull her off his mattress, directing her to the door.

The woman chuckled softly. "Don't be shy… I am not in a hurry. I always wanted to tell you; your speech at the Great Fourth War… It was so inspiring!" The woman slurred and Gaara's eyes narrowed slightly, letting go of her. She took a step forward and he took one back, his face flushing. "Very sexy…"

He was in a hurry, though. Her words were unsettling. He wasn't interested in them and they were only dragging her presence for longer than necessary. "I thank you again, really." Gaara insisted, tugging her awkwardly towards the door, like a five year old poking a jellyfish with a stick for the first time. "So… Have a good night, Arata-san." He urged her to go.

The woman turned around, her short blonde hair framing her face like a porcelain doll as she tilted her head to look at him. _Well, he certainly is a little weird._ She thought, not used to being turned down so flatly. She grinned once more. "Why don't _we_ have a _good night_ , Kazekage-sama?" She suggested and, with a flick of her wrist, her cloak was set free and fell freely by her feet, revealing her large cleavage. A pair of pink shorts was all she wore, her hands resting on her hips as she waited for his reaction.

Gaara stared at the woman, incredulously. _Ah… Not good… Not. is bad!_ He would later think back on the moment and realize he had never ever experienced such dread in his life. Not even at the brink of war had he felt such alarm and urgency. Maybe in any different situation, like seeing a picture or one of those closet pervert's books, he would have to admit to himself that it was indeed a display of a very enticing body. However, then, he could not appreciate the view in any way. The only thing he could think of was that he _had_ to get rid of that woman before…

"… What… Is this?"

He was so busy in his own thoughts that he failed to notice the door opening. Ayo stood there, her eyes wide as she took in the scenery in front of her. Her voice sounded controlled, but her eyes showed him otherwise.

"Ayo... That's... It's not what you are thinking…" He spoke evenly.

Ayo ignored Gaara and stared at the half-naked girl. "You. Leave." She sounded deadly calm. The woman chuckled in disdain, waving her off.

"Honey, please. I got here first!" The blonde leaned against the wall as she stared at Ayo, in mockery. "Why don't you be a good girl and wait for your turn?" She provoked.

Ayo chuckled back. "My turn?" The kunoichi from Suna grinned. A second later, her kunai was thrown and stopped as it was embedded in the wall, less than an inch from the blonde's skull, managing to actually cut a fair portion of Aimi's dirty yellow hair. The woman's eyes were wide in shock, as she looked down, trembling. She watched as the lock of her own hair descended slowly to the floor. Her shaken, perfectly manicured hands reached out quickly to pick her discarded cloak and she didn't bother wasting time to put it on before fleeing desperately from the room.

Gaara literally gulped as he observed. Ayo turned around to face him, her eyes narrowed as she shot him daggers with her look. Her fists balled up and she took a deep breath, trying to calm down. It was no use. She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth as fought for control, but lost it. Looking up at him again, she took one step closer, pointing an accusing finger at him. _"You_! _"_ She exclaimed, her voice dripping with anger.

Gaara barely had time to react as her fist made its way to his face and to his luck, his sand was able to pick her maddening intent, flying out of his gourd that rested quietly across the room. As her hand connected to the protecting sand, the sound of a blast was heard and the grains flew to every inch of the room. _If that blow landed on me, it'd be my certain death,_ he thought. _She was taught by Haruno Sakura, after all._

The sand quickly gathered back, but Ayo was faster and threw another punch, missing him by centimeters. He was suddenly glad for the harsh taijutsu lessons he took as he dodged, watching as her fist connected with the floor, creating a huge crater on the surface.

She stopped there, her breathing heavy as she crouched. He watched in awe at her violent display and cleared his throat before trying out. "Ayo?" His voice was tentative, hesitant. She looked up at him. Her eyes were cold and angry. She stood up straight and turned her back on him, walking out of the room with loud steps.

She knew she was being irrational. There was probably an explanation for what had happened, but she didn't care. She did not want to hear it. She wanted to punch and destroy things and she couldn't take it out on the Hokage's building, so she walked off, making her way to the nearest training site. Gaara blinked a couple of times before moving, going after her. "Ayo, wait." He called out, but she ignored him and quickened her pace, jumping off the roofs and out of his sight. His teal eyes watched her and he sighed. He didn't seem to catch a break, after all. He wasn't about to make the same mistakes, though. He let her go once; he would not be doing it again.

He followed her until they reached the nearest training ground. In the faint light, he could see she had stopped by a tree trunk, her back turned to him. He knew she had felt his presence and waited for her to turn around, to give him any sign on how to proceed. When she didn't move, he took the remaining steps to her and stopped behind her, only a few feet away.

"I'm mad at you, Gaara." Her low voice cut the silence. She dropped his title and honorifics, the sentence sounding like a warning. "Leave me alone."

"No."

"I'm not playing around." She hissed, still not bothering to turn. "Stop following me." She took a step away, but he had anticipated it and his hand reached out, grabbing her arm. Ayo pulled away from his touch hastily, finally turning to face him, a hand ready to strike his face.

He closed his eyes automatically, waiting for the impact. The slap never happened, though. He opened his eyes slowly to watch her stare in anger at him, her hand hovering only an inch away from his face. He could feel the warmth of her skin so close to his.

"Stop. Following. Me." She repeated, enunciating each word with venom and turning to leave again. He grabbed her arm once more, pulling her body to his with a quick move. His grip was firm, but gentle and she groaned as she felt her body collide with his with a soft sound. She tried to pull away again, but this time he did not let her.

"Don't pull away from me like that." He spoke, his husky voice sending an involuntary shiver down her spine. He sounded rough, imperious. "Don't reject my touch." He pressed, sounding faintly hurt by her gesture, although he knew she didn't mean it. She was angry, that was her reason. She did relish for his hands on her not long before. He wanted that again. What could he do to make her open up to him as she did before?

"Let me go!"

She kept struggling for freedom, but his mind was set. He leaned in, capturing her lips with his own. She gasped against his mouth and he wasted no time, using the advantage to slip his tongue inside, battling with hers for control as they kissed eagerly. She couldn't help but kiss him back; Her desire was too strong, she was too crazy about him. It didn't change the insane jealousy she felt, with such power that clouded her judgement and blinded her with fury. She tried to pull away, but his hand gripped her hair, keeping her in place. He winced lightly as he felt a sharp pain of her teeth sinking on his bottom lip and he let go of her, watching her as a thin trail of his own blood flowed down his chin.

Strangely, that only made his arousal grow further.

His thumb brushed on the skin beneath his mouth and his teal eyes stared down at the crimson liquid on it. The place was too dark, but he knew that color too well. His finger was plucked in his mouth as he licked the red fluid and calmly stared at her. She didn't miss one beat; her eyes registered his moves and she felt a fire like lava in her veins. There he stood, devilishly handsome in the dark, the faint lights from the far street distinguishing his striking features as he glared at her. She had always thought of him as an angel. Now he looked like a demon with those lusts smeared eyes. _Well, the Devil was once an angel, after all._ She thought to herself, feeling the heat spread through her whole body, pooling between her legs.

He closed the space between them, his hand cupping her face as he kissed her again. She felt the metallic taste of his blood in her tongue, her eyes shutting with the feeling on his free hand roaming through her body. Her own hand gripped his disheveled hair, pulling fiercely at his red locks as she broke the kiss once more and stared right into his eyes.

"You are mine." The lioness hissed; her voice was powerful with emotion and made his teal eyes widen in surprise. She pulled him almost gently this time, her lips brushing his as she continued. "Do you understand me, Gaara?"

The Godaime Kazekage nodded once. "I do." His deep voice replied, raspy, but he took her distraction to pin her against the tree. A ripping sound vibrated through the air as he tore the fabric of her fancy dress, pulling her leg up to his waist as he palmed her thigh with bruising force, his daunted fingers pulling at her underwear hastily, making the fragile, lacy material give way. The smile on his face was subtle as he held her panties to her eye level. Her golden stare defied him. He leaned into her, her scent numbing his mind with lustful flames as he whispered in her ear, his husky voice making her pound with desire. "Know you are mine as well." The compelling hint on his voice made her heart race wildly. His touch reached the exposed flesh between her legs and she gasped loud. "No one touches you but me." He continued, his fingers intruding as they explored her, making her eyes roll back with passion, a shameful moan escaping her lips.

"No one touches _you_ but _me_." Ayo repeated his words in a greedy daze, her hand gripping him through the fancy pants he wore and his breath was caught in his throat as her palm closed around his length, her fingers squeezing him softly and rhythmically. The feeling of her hand on him was delicious and he heard himself moan her name in response. She paused to grab on his suit jacket, pulling it off him with a single tug, discarding it on the grass before quickly undoing his tie, pulling him by it to steal a heated kiss as she did so.

A few seconds were enough. His clothes were carelessly thrown on the floor before he moved behind her, trying to work on the zipper of her offending dress, kissing her neck while he tugged on the stupid thing with no use. Groaning, Gaara lost his patience and tugged again, the last pull on the fabric finally ruining the rest of the red gown. The shreds of sparkling tissue snaked around Ayo's ankles and she barely had time to register the fact; his mouth was on her earlobe, his deep voice was enough to make a moan escape her.

"I'll get you a new one." He whispered, his deep voice dripping with lust and a hint of humor, making her heart trash madly inside her chest. Not many knew this side of him and it only added to it all. She loved it, she loved all of him. It was like poison on her veins, it took hold of her heart and mind, as much as she tried to convince herself of being in control.

His hands covered her breasts, massaging slowly as he pulled her against him from behind, their skin burning against each other. Ayo muttered some incoherent words as she closed her eyes, feeling him hard against her. As much as deadly pleasant, she ached to have him even closer than they already were. She faced him, sprawling her palms on his chest as she pushed him against the tree, crushing on his body with her own. Her moan was silenced as he kissed her hungrily, her arms holding his neck and pulling him to her, deepening the contact with urgency. His strong hands grabbed her thighs and pulled her slim body up, her legs straddling him and hugging his waist as he switched places and her back hit the wood forcefully, a low gasp escaping her as she felt him push inside her.

The sharp pain blinded her for a second and Gaara didn't miss the pained look on her face. Startled, he started pulling out, his mouth parted to speak, to apologize, to ask if she was all right. Ayo knew that it was normal, though. She hissed heatedly, cutting him before any words were shared. Her hold on his neck was tight and her lips caught his again; her legs closed around him, forcing him back inside her and letting him know it was okay, she could handle it. Both gasped with the feeling. He tried his best to slow down, but she urged him to go faster. He did not want to hurt her, but she wanted the pain to fade quicker. In the end, she got her way and his thrusts steadied, their pace speeding up. The pain inside her was forgotten as the burning pleasure took over and she felt herself squirm against him, her toes curling, her whole body feeling like an incoming explosion. The kunoichi chanted his name like a prayer, her arms on his shoulders, her hands on his hair. His moans were low and husky while hers were loud and scandalous. She could not help herself; she had no idea it would be _that_ good.

Gaara felt her nails break his skin as she stopped abruptly, trembling violently against him. Her walls tightened even more, pulsing around his length and he moaned, trying to control himself. He rested his forehead on her shoulder, shutting his eyes as he desperately tried to hold back, not wanting it to finish so soon. Ayo felt him still hard inside of her as her body slowly stopped shaking; she seemed to read his thoughts, smiling breathlessly. _We can always start all over again_ , she thought before leaning in and trailing her tongue softly on the base of his neck. Gaara felt his willpower melt away, growling, his own fingers digging in her caramel skin as he tried to prevent himself, one last time. His eyes widened as he felt the tip of her tongue retracing the pattern, only a second before she tugged on his fire red locks for better access and sunk her teeth on his pale skin. His sweet blood touched her lips and that did it; the overwhelming wave hit him and it was the most deadly blow he ever got in his life, rending him powerless before her.

Both fell on the ground, laying on their backs as they panted, staring up at the starry sky. Gaara turned his head to look at her and she did the same, both still flushed and breathless. He smiled at her and she felt the world spin faster, a smile of her own touching her lips. Her fingers reached slowly, brushing his before holding his hand on hers. He pulled her to his arms and held her to him, closing his eyes.

He wouldn't let go, anymore.


End file.
